


I Slept In Last Night's Clothes and Tomorrow's Dreams

by TellHipHopImLiterate



Category: B.A.P
Genre: 52 stories in 52 weeks, M/M, writing challenge
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-01-08
Updated: 2017-01-01
Packaged: 2018-05-12 13:39:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 52
Words: 89,914
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5668033
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TellHipHopImLiterate/pseuds/TellHipHopImLiterate
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>52 different writing prompts in 52 weeks.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. A New Beginning

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Week 1: A story entitled "A New Beginning".

The freezing weather wrapped around his body like a snowy blanket. Jongup could hear his teeth chattering and felt his body shivering. He looked around the street and saw the confetti all around the block. Some of the confetti the janitors were able to clean up, while some would think that the rain and melted snow could wash away the color paper.

"Such a waste," Jongup muttered as he continued walking.

The streets were filled with different people making their way towards somewhere where they needed to go. Jongup spotted a nearby coffee shop and debated whether or not he should. He reached into his pocket and saw that he had enough money to get himself something. He stuffed his money back into his pocket and made his way towards the coffee shop.

When he entered inside, it felt fresh and warm, but a bit crowded. He ignored it and waited in line while staring up at the menu to figure out what he wants. He needs something new, for the New Year.

"Hi! What can I get you?" a rather enthusiastic barista asked.

"What are your iced tea options?" Jongup asked. Ice tea is good, even though it felt like below zero out there. He needs something permanent.

"We have green, black, herbal, and passion," the barista listed off.

"I'll take a medium passion iced tea," he ordered.

"Sweetened?"

"Yes please," he answered. Sweetened is good.

After he paid for his drink, he took a table by the window and began to set up his laptop and book bag on top of the table. He could stay here a little bit longer. He really doesn't want to deal with the cold outside.

When the barista called his name to accept his iced tea, he accepted it gratefully and went back to sit down in his chair. He opened up his laptop and turned it on. He stuck the earbuds in his ears and began to work on his animation project.

\----  
"Excuse me sir, it's time to close up," a voice called out.

Jongup looked up and saw the coffee shop completely empty. He looked at the clock on his laptop and saw that it was getting really late. He looked over at his possibly ten empty passion iced teas around his computer and felt his cheeks heat up.

"Oh god, I'm so sorry. I lost track of time," Jongup confessed, saving his work and shutting his laptop down.

"It's fine. We don't get a lot of customers who accidentally stay late. Especially in the winter," the barista said.

"Jongup looked up and saw a rather handsome face staring at him. A bit taller than himself, with short dark hair and a bit lanky.

"Again, sorry. It wasn't how I wanted to start off the New Year," Jongup confessed, stuffing his laptop into his bag.

"How _did_ you want to start off the New Year?" the barista asked him.

"I don't know. Maybe walking through town, sign up for a gym membership, maybe thinking of adopting a cat," Jongup listed off.

There was a bunch of things that Jongup wanted to do, and staying in a coffee shop was not one of them.

"Well, sometimes your plans don't go according to plan, and that's okay," he said.

Jongup raised an eyebrow at him.

"You're very wise for a barista," Jongup blurted out.

He really wanted to slap himself, but instead of the barista being offended, he just laughed.

"Oh god, I needed that. Tell you what, I can get you a free drink. On the house. Just don't tell my boss," the barista said.

Jongup said nothing as the barista began to make another ice tea for him. It wasn't until later that he realized that the barista made himself one as well. When he poured the drink, he handed on to Jongup and kept the other for himself.

"To new beginnings?" the barista proposed, holding his drink in the air for Jongup to tap.

Jongup smiled and tapped his drink with his own. "To new beginnings."

"I'm Yongguk by the way," the barista introduced.

"Jongup. Nice to meet you, Yongguk," Jongup said.

Yongguk gave him a soft smile as Jongup began to leave the coffee shop with his free drink. Now he has to find his way home in the freezing cold.

\-----  
When Jongup came back to the coffee shop, he saw the same barista as yesterday, but not last night.

"Hi! What can I get you?" the barista asked.

Jongup noted that he was still chipper. The nametag read Daehyun.

"Passion iced tea please. Sweetened," Jongup ordered, taking out some cash.

"Alright sir, your drink will be up in a couple of minutes," Daehyun said.

Jongup only nodded his head and went to take the table by the window. It was bright and sunny today, but it was still cold. He was surprised to see less people here than yesterday. Maybe it was because it was still new. Or that it was a bit late. Jongup didn't really know, and he really doesn't wish to know.

"One passion iced tea," Daehyun called out.

Jongup got up from his seat and went to retrieve his drink.

"Hey, what happened to the barista that works late here? Yongguk?" Jongup asked. He had to ask, or else it would be on his mind for the rest of the day.

"Yongguk? Oh! He only works the night shift until closing. If you wish to see him in the daytime, he mostly works weekends for those, plus Friday," Daehyun answered.

So Jongup has his answer. Although, Daehyun's gaze made Jongup somewhat uncomfortable.

"Thanks. I'll be sure to keep that in mind," Jongup said, taking his iced tea with him and sat back down. It was only Thursday. He can try again tomorrow and see him. But chances are, Daehyun would tell Yongguk about the encounter, so he won't take the chance to see him tomorrow. He could see him Sunday. Sunday was a good day. He looked up and saw Daehyun giving him some strange look. He decided to pack up his things and left the coffee shop. He really didn't want to be around him for right now.

\-----  
Jongup entered the coffee shop on a Sunday and saw Yongguk already there, taking orders and mixing drinks, with another barista behind the counter that was, thankfully, not Daehyun. Jongup is hoping that it's someone that doesn't work with Daehyun.

"Jongup!" Yongguk called out.

Jongup smiled shyly and walked up to the counter. No, he's not having a crush this early in the year. It's time for new beginnings. New memories! Not one with relationships. Especially one that he knows he'll never stand a chance with.

"Hey, Yongguk," Jongup greeted.

"Oh, is this the boy?" the other barista asked.

Jongup saw Yongguk's cheeks turn red and shoved the other away from him.

"Sorry about Youngjae. He works with Daehyun and those two are huge gossipers. Anyway, a passion iced tea?" Yongguk asked.

"Oooh~. You know his order~!" Youngjae sang out.

Jongup could see Yongguk's cheeks getting redder, but said nothing.

"Um, yes please," Jongup answered, handing over his credit card. He was running low on cash.

After a couple of minutes of getting his drink and hearing a bit of teasing from Youngjae, Jongup could feel his cheeks heating up. He didn't want to deal with this.

"Hey, my shift ends in a couple of minutes. Want to get something to eat? Preferably away from Youngjae?" Yongguk asked him.

Jongup was a bit surprised, and he couldn't find the words to answer his question. He felt his head nodding, which earned a gummy smile (Jongup's heart did NOT skip a beat over that) and walked towards the back.

Jongup was going to like this year.


	2. Against All Odds

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Week 2: A story about rising to a challenge.

Inside the jaegar was loudly silent. It was just him and his co-pilot, Daehyun, with him. Youngjae lifted his left arm to the side of his body and felt the jaegar copying his move. He soon flexed his fingers to indicate that the jaegar was copying his move.

"Left arm synchronization complete," an AI announced.

Youngjae dropped his arm to his side and felt the right arm lift up, to which he followed. He flexed his fingers with Daehyun to show that they were in harmony.

"Right arm synchronization complete," the same AI announced.

"Alright boys, we're about to begin the drift," a familiar voice announced.

"Himchan, darling! How's my number one technician doing?" Youngjae heard Daehyun greet.

"Ignoring you," Himchan answered.

"Aw, come on baby! Don't be like that," Daehyun teased.

Youngjae pretty much ignored Daehyun's constant flirting while Himchan continued to threaten him at any chance given.

"Alright boys, it's time for the neural handshake. Are you ready?" they heard Yongguk call out through Himchan and Daehyun's bickering. Yongguk was their marshal; in charge of the entire jaegar program in Seoul.

"Born ready," Youngjae answered.

"Neural handshake start in 5," Himchan announced.

"Ready to get into my head?" Youngjae asked, positioning himself and waiting.

"Ready when you are. Just make sure there's nothing disgusting in that head of yours," Daehyun told him.

"3… 2…"

"Same with you, you weirdo," Youngjae said.

"1."

"Neural handshake initiating," the AI announced.

Youngjae felt himself being sucked in. Memories of his childhood flashed through. His years at school, when the jaegars came and attacked, the jaegar program, and meeting Junhong through the mess of it all. Then suddenly, he sees someone else's memories, obviously Daehyun's. They, too, flashed quickly, and then they were back inside the jaegar. Youngjae and Daehyun synchronized themselves into a fighting position.

"Neural handshake complete. Drift compatibility at 93%," the AI announced.

"Alright Joko. You and Pixie Dust are going to be heading into the trench to try and close the breach. Be careful out there," Yongguk told them.

"You got it," Youngjae answered.

"And Daehyun," a familiar voice called out.

"What is it Junhong?" Daehyun asked.

"Bring him home," Junhong ordered.

Youngjae looked over at Daehyun, who only smiled at him.

"I always do," Daehyun promised.

\-----

Junhong watched from the control room Jokomato and Pixie walking out of the hanger. The black paint from Joko made it camouflage so well with the dark ocean water.

"What are you going to do if he doesn't come back?" he heard Jongup ask.

Junhong looked up and saw Jongup staring at the open hanger, now getting ready to close.

"I don't know. That's why I'm hoping they make it back," Junhong answered.

"Don't worry. They got Pixie Dust with them. They'll make it," Jongup assured him.

It just made Junhong more worried.

\-----

The wind was blowing stronger this time. Youngjae looked over at the other jaegar, painted a lighter blue with some sort of pink sparkles.

"This is Pixie Dust reporting in," a female voice called in.

"What kind of name is Pixie Dust?" Daehyun questioned.

"What kind of name is Jokomato?" another female voice questioned.

"Touché," Youngjae remarked.

"We got a mission to complete. According to our calculations, there are two jaegars roaming around the breach. If Anna's calculations are right, there will be a third one coming out soon, so we gotta hurry," the first female voice said.

The two jaegars submerged themselves into the ocean water. Youngjae turned on the headlights on his jaegar and looked around the dark waters. It was so eerie and silent in the ocean waters.

"I don't see movement," Daehyun claimed.

"They're sneaky bastards. Don't let your guard down just because you can't see them," the second voice said.

Youngjae thought she sounded like it was from experience. He didn't press any further as he continued to walk towards the breach. He looked up at the sonar and saw two figures moving towards them.

"Looks like we got company," Daehyun announced.

Youngjae and Daehyun get themselves ready in a fighting stance, while Pixie Dust seems to be doing something else entirely, but still in their own fighting stance.

"Come at us, motherfucker!" the second voice shouted.

Youngjae saw one kaiju in front of them, swimming rather fast than what he's used to. The kaiju let out a shrilling screech, but Joko was able to stop it quickly. The other kaiju attacked from behind.

"Motherfucker!" Daehyun cursed, trying to swat at the kaiju from behind.

"Oh no you don't!" the first voice shouted.

Youngjae and Daehyun felt a weight off their back and focused on the kaiju trying to attack their face. Youngjae and Daehyun both synchronized themselves and activated the plasma cannon.

"Plasma cannon activated," the AI announced.

Youngjae, using his left arm and Daehyun using the right arm to get the kaiju away from him, blasted him in the stomach, chest, and then head, but it didn't kill it instantly. It did own the creature, who seemed to be drifting a bit, but then screeched at Joko

"Come on!" Daehyun shouted.

Daehyun activated his own plasma cannon and aimed fire at the kaiju, who seemed to be charging fast. Daehyun and Youngjae fired their plasma cannon three times, all in the head. The kaiju went down. Daehyun quickly blasted it a few more times, making sure that it's actually dead.

"We got one," Youngjae announced.

"Great! Now help us!" they heard the second voice shout.

Joko turned around and saw the second kaiju injured, but so was Pixie Dust. The plasma cannon looked damaged while the sword looked like it was lodged into the creature's gut, but it still wasn't going down.

"We gotta save them," Daehyun declared.

"Warning: Level five kaiju emerging from the breach," the AI announced.

Joko turned their head and saw the breach glowing.

"Anna was right," they heard the first voice mutter.

Out of the breach came a kaiju the size of a skyscraper.

"Holy mother of god," Daehyun muttered.

They heard the large creature screech and looked ready to pounce.

"Hey Pixie, what's going on back there?" Youngjae called out.

"Oh you know, just painting our nails!" the second voice shouted.

"This calls for Peter Pan," the first voice confirmed.

"What's Peter Pan?" Daehyun asked.

Joko got their plasma cannons ready, while Youngjae got his sword ready to fight.

"Faith," the first voice stared.

"Trust," the second continued.

"And a little pixie dust!" the two shouted together.

Joko looked to see Pixie Dust electrocuting their kaiju until the blue blood began to disperse from the body. When the electricity faded, the monster went limp.

"Take your dead kaiju and go! We got this. Destroy the breach!" the first voice ordered.

"What about you?" Youngjae asked, already making their way towards the protected breach.

"We'll cover you. You can do this," the second said.

Daehyun and Youngjae looked at each other. Daehyun only nodded his head, already knowing what Youngjae was thinking. Youngjae and Daehyun began to charge at the seething level five kaiju and blasted its side. They picked up the kaiju carcass and continued their way into the breach, but the large kaiju has other plans.

"I need to see license and registration," the second voice called out, grabbing the kaiju away from Joko and began to stab it.

"Can't you use electricity, like the first one?" Daehyun asked.

"We can't. Out of juice. Go! We got this," the first voice said as it continued stabbing the creature in the guts.

"Ready for this?" Youngjae asked Daehyun, peering over the breach.

"Do you need to ask?" Daehyun asked him.

Youngjae only smiled and the two made their final leap into the breach.

\-----

The control room was tense and silent. Junhong continued watching the radar in front of Himchan. They could communicate with them, sure, but right now the communication needs to be through Jokomato and Pixie Dust. Their conversation sounded so final.

"Joko will be fine. So will Pixie," Jongup told him.

"They made it!" Himchan announced.

Junhong saw Jokomato into the breach with their carcass. Pixie Dust was still fighting the level five kaiju, and it seemed like they were losing.

"They'll be fine. Ness and Sally will make it," a female voice assured someone.

Junhong hoped that Daehyun and Youngjae will be fine, too. Mostly Youngjae.

\-----

The breached was way different than the two imagined. The two began the countdown from thirty seconds. The two activated their pods and stepped in.

"Race you?" Youngjae requested.

"I'd rather not," Daehyun declined.

Youngjae looked around the jaegar one last time, before stepping into his own pod and closed it.

"Goodbye," Youngjae whispered.

The pods were soon launched and made their way out of the breach.

\-----

Junhong felt his heart skip when he saw Youngjae and Daehyun launching themselves out of the jaegar.

"Just fucking die already!" the second voice from Pixie Dust shouted.

They heard the sound of cannons firing, and then the connection between Pixie Dust and the level five kaiju was lost.

"What happened?" Himchan demanded.

"What did you do?" a female demanded.

"I lost Youngjae and Daehyun, too. Don't pin this on me!" Himchan shouted.

"Enough," Yongguk told them.

Junhong chewed on his nail and waited. Then suddenly, the breach was beginning to collapse.

"The breach has been sealed," Jongup announced.

"Stop the clock!" Yongguk ordered.

Junhong heard the cheers from outside the control room. However, he wasn't ready to celebrate just yet. Not until he knows that Youngjae is okay.

\-----

Youngjae heard his pod open and he looked up. Daehyun was right beside him, who seemed to be laughing.

"We won. We won!" Daehyun shouted into the sky.

The ocean was now bright from the rising sun. Youngjae saw a shadow looming over them, obviously their ride.

"Need a lift?" a familiar voice asked.

"Don't mind if we do," Daehyun said, accepting their offer.

Pixie Dust lowered their left hand towards them and Daehyun and Youngjae got on quickly. The jaegar straightened themselves up, and began to walk towards Seoul shatter dome.

\-----

The welcome home party was short notice. When Junhong saw the powdered blue jaegar limping its way towards the shatter dome, his first instinct was to believe that Youngjae was killed. But then he saw two figures in the jaegar's hand, and Junhong pretty much launched himself into Youngjae's arms.

"You're home," Junhong whispered, hugging Youngjae tightly.

"Daehyun promised he's bring me home. He's been one to keep a promise," Youngjae told him, smiling widely from ear to ear.

Junhong said nothing. Instead, he continued hugging him and decided to never let Youngjae out of his sight.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not the greatest one, but I was thinking Pacific Rim and I came up with this instead. Nice.


	3. Lavender's Blue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Week 3: A retelling of a fairytale.

Once upon a time in a small kingdom lived a rather handsome boy named Jung Daehyun. He grew up on his father's small farm, his own mother dying when he was very young. When Daehyun was thirteen, his father remarried a widower and he gained two new sisters. His father, being a merchant, set off to sell his goods, leaving Daehyun with his stepmother and stepsisters.

When seasons began to change, Daehyun received grim news; his father wasn't coming home.

When Daehyun turned fifteen, his stepmother ordered him to do all the housework, keeping him as busy as he could. She also ordered Daehyun to sleep in the attic so that his sisters could reside in his room, which was the biggest in the house. His stepsisters didn't do as much except to give Daehyun more chores for him to do. However, Daehyun did not complain nor did he take revenge on his stepfamily. He only said 'yes stepmother', and that was all.

The day Daehyun turned seventeen, there was an announcement at the town square.

"By order of the king, he requests all eligible bachelorettes attend a ball that Is held for his son," the announcement read.

Daehyun rushed to his stepmother to tell her and her stepsisters the news. They grew extremely excited, discussing of what costume they would wear and the color of their mask, as it was a masquerade costume ball.

"May I come, too?" Daehyun requested.

The three stopped chattering and stared at Daehyun, as if he grew three heads.

"Absolutely not! The announcements claimed to only allow eligible bachelorettes to the party, not bachelors," his stepmother told her.

"Besides, imagine the embarrassment we'd face if we brought you. We'd be a laughing stock if you're not dancing with the pretty girls," one of his stepsister claimed.

"It wouldn't matter. He doesn't like girls," his second stepsister stated.

Daehyun felt embarrassment creeping up on his face. It was true that he didn't fancy girls like he did boys, but it still hurt. He wanted to go to the ball so badly.

Late at night, while his stepmother and stepsisters were sleeping, he quietly escaped into the night. He always thought of running away from their verbal abuse, but he has no money, and no place to go. He walked into the woods and began his journey to… well, wherever the woods wishes to take him. He loved the woods. It was so silent and serene.

As he was walking along the trees, he heard a twig snap. He turned his head and saw someone behind him. He was handsome, with black hair and eyes, his skin milky white, and his complexion fair.

"Who are you?" Daehyun demanded. It was at this moment that he should've brought a knife with him.

"I should be asking you that question," the stranger said.

"It is none of your business, I think. What are you doing in the woods?" Daehyun asked him.

"Leaving, mostly. My father wishes to marry someone I hardly know, which is completely unfair," the stranger said.

"You should find a woman you love. I'm sure you can love her," Daehyun assured him.

"That is another thing. I don't happen to fancy girls," he explained.

Oh.

"It's still no reason to leave. I'm sure someone like you could stand up to your father and tell him the truth," Daehyun offered.

"I tried that. He said that it could ruin my family's reputation and I could humiliate them. Not to mention lose our title," the stranger explained.

"So you're a noble?" Daehyun guessed.

"I- yes," the stranger answered. "My name is Chan."

"Tell you what, Chan; if I can live with my horrid stepmother and stepsisters, than you can be able to live with someone you don't love," Daehyun told him.

"I will, if you promise to find me at the ball," Chan told him.

Daehyun's heart began to feel lighter. He doesn't even know him, yet a noble wanted to meet him again.

He felt warm and saw that the light was beginning to break. He needed to get home.

"I will. Now I must get home," Daehyun told him.

"Wait!" he heard Chan call out.

Daehyun didn't hear him. He made his way back home and towards his room quickly.

\-----

During the next two weeks, his stepmother and stepsisters kept him busy, but Daehyun would always find ways to make his costume and mask. He thought of a bird, with colorful feathers he found in his sister's room and the beak a golden color. Meanwhile, he continued to rise before dawn and get started on his chores, while working on his costume until he fell asleep.

Finally, it was the night of the ball. Daehyun got his costume and mask ready. He heard his stepmother calling out to his stepsisters that their carriage has arrived. He walked down the stairs, with his stepsisters dressed like questionable flowers while his stepmother dressed like a rainbow. Her dress and mask were very colorful and very well decorated.

"And just what are you supposed to be?" his stepmother asked.

"A bird! A parrot, to be more precise," Daehyun answered.

"You look like a ball of feathers," one of his stepsisters sneered.

"You can't go dressed like that! You'll only embarrass yourself," he stepmother told him.

"Oh please let me go! I promise I won't be any trouble to you! You won't even know I'm there," Daehyun pleaded.

Daehyun took a step back when his stepmother began to walk closer to him.

"You think you can waltz in here and plead to go? I don't think so. Besides, your costume is already fall apart," she said.

She ripped a sleeve from his costume and he gasped at the torn sleeve. He saw his stepsisters giggling like mad as they, too, took turns in tearing his costume apart. Daehyun was on the verge of tears, but his didn't show it, for he didn't want to give his stepmother the satisfaction that she won.

"Come along girls! We mustn't be late," his stepmother called out.

The three left the house with Daehyun in the middle of the walkway. His costume was completely torn and there was no way to fix it. He quickly ran towards the back where the garden was and finally let out the sob in his throat. It wasn't fair. It wasn't fair and he couldn't do anything about it.

"Why are you crying, child?" a male voice asked.

Daehyun jumped and turned around. No one was in the garden with him. Great, he was starting to hear voices as well.

"You're not looking hard enough," the same male voice sang out.

Daehyun stared at the garden hard. When he turned around, he saw a male wearing a dark blue sparkiling suit with a light pink tie and light brown dress shoes.

"Who are you?" Daehyun asked him.

"I'm your fairy godfather! Just call me Youngjae. It makes everything a bit easier," the strange man answered.

Daehyun raised an eyebrow. He didn't really look at all impressed, and Youngjae could feel it.

"Wow, don't act so surprised," Youngjae said sarcastically.

"I'm sorry, but why are you here?" Daehyun asked.

"Oh! I heard you crying. I thought I could help," Youngjae said.

Now Daehyun was just staring at him, like he grew an extra head.

"Fine! I'll just prove it to you, since you nonbelievers seem to think magic doesn't exist," Youngjae told him.

Daehyun watched and saw a glowing stick coming from his sleeve. He walked through the pumpkin patch and Daehyun followed right behind him. He was curious as to what this strange man was going to do.

"Now, I need a good size pumpkin," Youngjae said, searching through the pumpkin patch.

He was about to tell him to please stop whatever he was doing, until he heard Youngjae shout out something and hauling a rather large pumpkin towards the middle of the grass.

"Now, let's see if this works. I haven't used pumpkins in a while," Youngjae said.

At this rate, Daehyun was ready to call in a psych ward when Youngjae muttered some words and the pumpkin moved just a bit. Youngjae, however, looked disappointed.

"Bippity boppity boo!" Youngjae shouted.

Daehyun's eyes widened when he saw the rather large pumpkin slowly turning into a golden carriage, with gorgeous glass windows and beautiful intricate designs.

"See, I still got it! Now, we need horses, a stagecoach, and two footmen," Youngjae said, roaming around.

Daehyun saw four mice scurrying along, and Youngjae quickly pointed his wand and saw his magic words, and the mice suddenly grew. Daehyun stared as the mice turned into four white horses all neatly in a row. Before Daehyun could even look around, Youngjae already found him a stagecoach and two footmen, using a goose for the stagecoach and two lizards for the footmen.

"I think that's everything. Now come along! We must be ready!" Youngjae ordered, moving everybody towards the front.

"Youngjae wait!" Daehyun called out.

Youngjae turned around and stared at Daehyun.

"My costume. I can't go looking like this," Daehyun told him as pieces of feathers began to fall.

"Your right. Let me see… Oh! I know the perfect costume," Youngjae said.

Daehyun heard Youngjae say his magic words and he could feel the magic dancing around his body. He spun around and saw the feathers changing color, and his costume turning to a suit. His mask, too, changed shape and color. He stopped spinning and looked up at Youngjae, who smiled proudly.

"There, now you're a peacock. A bit different from your normal costume, but it's still a bird," Youngjae said.

The costume was a bit like a suit, with green feathers along the suit and the tail of the coat resembling the feathers the peacocks used to attract their mates; green and brown with the top of the feathers resembling an eyeball.

"It's perfect! Thank you so much!" Daehyun said, walking towards the coach.

"Oh! Before I forget! The magic can only last for so long. Once the clock strikes twelve, the magic will start wearing off. It's not until the last dong will the magic be gone completely," Youngjae instructed.

"So after twelve, I have to leave quickly?" Daehyun questioned.

"Exactly. Be careful out there!" Youngjae called out.

Daehyun smiled brightly. He got inside the carriage and heard the door close behind him. He waved to Youngjae, who then disappeared into the night.

\-----

The masquerade party was off without a hitch. Every family was greeted like they were royalty. There was so much color shining brightly throughout the room. When Daehyun entered the room, he felt so embarrassed for being so late. He quickly sneaked into the middle of dancing couples, trying to find the noble that spoke to him. However, there was so many people, he could even be wearing a mask.

"Ladies and gentlemen, may I please introduce his majesty, King Sungjae and his son, Prince Himchan," a court royal announced.

Daehyun and looked up and saw the prince taking off his mask and…

Oh no.

Daehyun could feel his cheeks flushing against the mask and began to move away from the crowd. There is no way that was Chan. The Chan he spoke to was a noble. Well technically, Daehyun only assumed.

"Now Prince Himchan will dance with every eligible bachelorette in this room," the court royal announced.

Daehyun quickly made his way out towards the garden. He needed to breathe a bit. Besides, it was still early. The clock tower said that it would soon be ten. He took off his peacock mask and looked at the design. It even made him look like a peacock.

"I thought you'd never show up," a familiar voice said.

Daehyun jumped and turned around. Himchan was dressed as a literal prince charming, with his white military suit and clean white gloves.

"I promised that I would," Daehyun told him.

Himchan smiled softly.

"How did you know it was me? I had my mask on when I was inside," Daehyun asked him.

"I saw you walking away from the crowd. After I danced with the girls, I carefully sneaked my way out here to see if it was you. I'm sorry I deceived you," Himchan explained.

"No, it's okay. I just assumed you were. You just didn't correct me," he said.

"I wanted to, but I also wanted to keep my identity a little longer. Now that you're here, may we have this dance?" Himchan asked.

"There's no music out here!" Daehyun told him, laughter hiding in his voice.

"So! You can hear the music from inside. It will do, I'm sure," Himchan said.

Daehyun only laughed, but agreed to have one dance with Himchan. The music behind them was playing softly, but the two could still hear it. The dance was soft and careful, and Daehyun smiled softly up at Himchan. He was so handsome, especially up close. Daehyun could feel his heart beating against his chest.

"You know, you didn't tell me your name," Himchan told him.

Daehyun was about to open his mouth to tell him, but soon he heard the clock beginning to chime. He looked behind him and saw the two arrows pointing at twelve. He heard the first dong and knew he had to leave.

"I have to go. I have to leave!" Daehyun told him, snatching his mask and putting it back on.

"Wait, but why must you leave?" Himchan called out.

"It's too difficult to explain. Just know that I have to leave," Daehyun said as he began to leave the castle.

When he entered inside the ballroom, there were different couples dancing with one another. He turned his head and saw Himchan running after him. He dodged every dancing couple around him and made his way out through the doors. He ran towards the golden carriage and got in. The carriage began to move quickly and away the carriage went. Daehyun looked behind him and saw Himchan's figure disappearing into the night. He continued hearing the dongs of the large clock. He could feel the carriage shrinking, and the ride becoming wobbly.

When the twelfth dong rang out throughout the land, the pumpkin was smashed into the ground and Daehyun's costume changed back into the ripped feathers that he had before. He saw his house just a few feet away from him. The animals that were forced into his charade quickly made their way back into the garden. Daehyun soon made his way back to the house, realizing that he never gave Himchan his name. He let out a sigh and made his way inside. He should change his clothes.

\-----

Daehyun woke early, with a spring in his step. He was still thinking about the masquerade party, especially the small dance that he shared with him.

He even ignored his stepsisters and stepmother's sour face.

"How was the masquerade?" Daehyun asked them, ignoring the fact that he knows, but he couldn't say.

"Miserable. I couldn't even get one dance with the prince. When I was trying to find him, he just disappeared," one of his stepsisters told him, pouting.

"He showed up eventually, but it was to chase some boy. He was dressed like a peacock. So tacky," his other stepsister complained.

"Yes. It won't matter, we shan't give up! We'll find you two nobles to marry. I heard a rumor that the prince is to be engaged to a princess from another kingdom. I'm not sure if it is true, but it's what I heard," his stepmother said.

Daehyun ignored it. He knew that he would never belong with the prince, but it was still lovely to dance with him either way. Maybe it would be something to tell his future children, if he can adopt that is.

"How was your evening yesterday? Horrid, I assume," his stepmother asked her.

"Oh, yes it was. I was tending to the garden and cleaned as much as I could. The pumpkins are coming in nicely, however," Daehyun told her, humming softly to himself.

Daehyun needs to be careful, for even watchful eyes can detect lies.

\-----

Daehyun cleaned the last remnants from his attic room and placed them all inside his new bookcase that he built. He turned around and gasped with he saw his stepmother sitting in one of the chairs.

"Stepmother, you scared me," Daehyun told her.

"I know you were there," she said.

Daehyun furrowed his eyebrows. He tried to keep his composure as best as he could, for he doesn't want for his stepmother's claim to be true.

"You're mistaken. I didn't go-"

"Of course you did. You're the mystery male that the kingdom is talking about. The prince is going to ever available household he can find. My guess is that he knows what the mystery man looks like, but he can't find him. Now, if he were to find you, I suggest you do as I say or else," she threatened.

"No, I won't. I won't follow your orders. Prince Himchan may be looking for his mystery male, but your torture will soon end," he told her.

His stepmother smirked. She stood up from her chair and glared at him.

"Mark my words, Jung Daehyun; I still run this house and I will be damned if you decide to ruin it," she hissed.

Daehyun felt shivers run down his spine. He didn't know what his stepmother could do, and he was now afraid.

The two heard a buzzer go off somewhere in the house, with one of his stepsisters shouting out that the prince was here. His stepmother straightened out her back and smirked.

"He won't know you're here, you know. And let's make sure we keep it that way," she said.

She turned around and left the attic room, closing the door behind her and locking it. Daehyun tried to open the door and saw that he couldn't. He banged on the door hard enough as he could, but he knew it was no use. He walked towards the window to open it. He needed air.

\-----

"He's here somewhere," Himchan muttered.

"Himchan, this is ridiculous. We've asked every male in this kingdom and they said that they haven't seen him," his younger brother, Junhong, told him.

"I agree, this is getting absurd. What if he's not living in the kingdom? Are you going to search through the entire earth?" Jongup, Junhong's best friend and captain of the guards, asked him.

"I can try. Either way, father won't allow it," Himchan told them.

"You can. Just don't be king. Be a noble or something. Junhong can be king," Jongup said.

Himchan looked over at Junhong. It was true that the two have been trained together, with Himchan always ahead of Junhong. However, he could use Junhong and let him be king, since he himself had no desire to be king or to rule the country.

"We'll see. Is this the last house?" Himchan asked.

"Yes, your majesty. Although I may warn you, it's not part of your aesthetic," their coachman, Yongguk, warned.

"Oh please. I'm not that vain," Himchan told him, getting out of the carriage. The two followed behind, and Himchan saw from the corner of his eye Jongup blushing and looking away from Yongguk's eyes.

"It doesn't look so bad. Now hurry! The faster we do this, the faster we can get home and eat," Junhong told them.

They walked up to the front door and rang the doorbell. They heard voices inside the building and waited patiently. The door soon opened and an older woman leaned against the doorway, smiling seductively at them. Himchan grew very uncomfortable.

"Gentlemen!" the woman greeted.

"Hello ma'am. We're just stopping by to ask if you have any males in the home?" Jongup asked in his captain voice.

"Oh no, I'm sorry. It's just us women here," the woman answered, looking hopeful.

"Then I'm sorry for wasting your time," Himchan told her.

"But wait! I have eligible daughters, you know," she assured them.

"I'm sorry, but I'm engaged to another and my older brother here loves someone else," Junhong told her.

"Your majesty, the window upstairs just opened by itself," they heard Yongguk say.

The three looked up and saw a figure by the window, but they couldn't tell who it was.

"Ma'am, are you sure there's no one else in this house?" Jongup asked her.

"I assure you, there's no one else," she said.

"Then you don't mind if we go upstairs-"

"No!"

The three stared. They knew that she had something to hide.

"We suggest you to bring down whomever is up in the attic. If you don't follow orders, then you will face treason," Himchan told her.

The woman looked torn. Himchan saw something in her eyes, but eventually, she agreed. She motioned for the men to follow her inside the house.

\-----

Daehyun stared at the trees in front of the house. It looks so beautiful, and so lush. He wanted to somehow get out of the attic and to escape into the woods, but he knew he couldn't.

He heard the door unlocking and opening. He stood up straight and waited for his stepmother to enter inside the room. However, his stepmother didn't enter the room, but Prince Himchan himself. He gasped to himself and saw another male coming inside, much taller than the prince himself, and another man, just a few inches shorter than Himchan.

"It's you," Himchan whispered.

Daehyun bit his lip to contain his smile. He walked closer to Himchan and touched his arm.

"Are you sure, brother?" the taller male asked.

"I know it's him. It's his eyes," Himchan assured them.

Daehyun finally broke out his smile and felt his cheeks heating up.

"I was looking for you, you know. You are very tricky to find," Himchan said.

"Yeah well, you just need to find the right places, I guess," Daehyun said.

Himchan offered his hand to Daehyun, to which he accepted. The four left the attic room, leaving his stepmother behind.

"You can't just leave! You're my child, too!" his stepmother shouted.

Daehyun ignored her and continued walking with Himchan to the carriage. He ignored his stepsister's calling and his stepmother's shouting. He was finally free.

He was free from their torment and now he is safe with someone that he loves and someone that loves him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Holy shit, this was a monster to write. I didn't think it would be this long, but here it is, and I am proud!


	4. You'll Dance to Anything

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Week 4: A story about three siblings.

"What are you drawing?" Jongsung asked him.

Jongup looked up and held up his drawing. The drawing was very colorful, but Jongsung could be able to detect what his baby brother was drawing.

"Why are you drawing yourself as a ballerina?" he asked.

My teacher said that we had to draw what we wanted to be when we growed up," Jongup explained.

Jonghyun soon entered the room and saw less than a dozen pieces of paper drawn on. He picked several up and saw the same ballerina drawings. Each one had Jongup's name, and the 'age:  7'.

"These are adorable. Which one are you going to use?" Jonghyun asked him.

Jongup only shrugged his shoulders. He hasn't decided yet.

"Jongup! It's time for your class!" the three heard their mother call out.

He got up from his spot on the floor. He ran towards where their mother was while the two stayed in the living room. Jongup has been going to ballet classes after he begged their parents to take him. Their father was hesitant, but their mother instantly agreed.

"Jongup is going to get picked on by the other kids," Jonghyun stated.

"I know, but maybe they won't? I mean, there's got to be other kids that want to be something else," Jongsung said.

"If not, I'll try and protect him. We still attend the same school," Jonghyun said.

They just hope that they don't have to.

\-----

The next day at school, it was time to present their drawings. Many kids drew themselves as president or a superhero. A small group of girls drew themselves as princesses, while some boys drew themselves as firefighters or police officers.

"Alright Jongup, it's your turn. What do you want to be when you grow up?" his teacher asked him.

His teacher is a very sweet woman. Sometimes when the class is good, she hands out candy. It's her voice that helps Jongup present his drawing to the class.

"When I growed up, I wanna be a ballerina!" Jongup declared, holding up his masterpiece proudly.

He didn't hear the class 'ooh' or 'ah' at his drawing like the did for the other kids. Jongup began to feel a bit nervous.

"Why do you wanna do a girl's job?" one of the boys asked.

"Sungjin!" his teacher scolded.

"But it's true, teacher! Being a ballerina is only for girls," another student said.

"That's not true. My mommy said that being a ballerina is for boys, too," Jongup said nervously, playing around with the carpet with his shoe.

"So does that mean that Jongup is actually a girl?" one of the female students asked, completely ignoring what Jongup said.

"That's enough! It's a beautiful drawing, Jongup. I'll hang it up with the others," his teacher told him.

"Don't put it up with mine!" a boy said.

"Or mine! Jongup's picture is weird!" a girl claimed.

Jongup went back to sit at his desk and felt the tears threatening to fall. His mommy said it was good, and his daddy even helped him get the tutu right, since his daddy is an artist.

So then why did they think his drawing was weird?

\-----

Later on during recess, nobody wanted to play with him. Whenever he walked up to someone, they would instantly walk away. It hurt his feelings. A lot. But he couldn't do a lot about it. He sat in the middle of the field and began to rip the grass from the dirt. He'll occasionally grab flowers and created a flower crown to place on his head. When he looked up, he saw one of his classmates and two second graders walking up to him.

"That's him! That's the boy who said he wanted to be a ballerina," his classmate accused.

Jongup saw the three walking closer to him. He really just wanted to disappear.

"So you're the one that wants to be a girl?" one of the second graders asked him.

"I just want to dance," Jongup explained.

"Look, he even made a girly flower crown!" the other second grader said.

Jongup could feel the flower crown being yanked off his head, along with a couple of his hair. He really wanted to cry, he really did.

"Look! The big baby is gonna cry," the first second grader announced.

He could feel bodies all around him, pointing and laughing at him.

"Leave my brother alone, you bully!" he heard a familiar voice said.

"Crap! You never said his brother was a fourth grader," one of the second graders told Jongup's classmates.

"I didn't even know," he said.

"Scatter!"

The kids began to scatter, leaving Jongup and Jonghyun alone in the middle of the field. Jongup wiped a couple of his tears and stared at the grass.

"Hey, you okay?" Jonghyun asked him.

"I don't wanna be a ballerina anymore," Jongup announced.

"What? Why? You're really good," Jonghyun told him.

"The other kids picked on me and told me that it's a girl's job. I dun wanna be picked on no more," Jongup said, ripping out the grass.

"Listen, you can't let them get to you. Bullies are a mean bunch, but it's up to you whether or not you want to keep going, or to stop completely. You want to be a ballerina dancer, not them. _You_ ," Jonghyun told him.

Jongup sniffed a little and looked up at his big brother.

"Can you take me to my classroom?" Jongup asked, holding his hand out.

Jonghyun smiled softly and took his younger brother's hand. "Of course."

\-----

_Ten years later_

Jongsung and Jonghyun quickly made it to their seats and applauded with the others as the music begins to play. Soon, the curtains began to rise as well. Jonghyun looked at the program, skimmed through the dancers, and saw Jongup's name listed as the lead lost boy. The two would clap when the other members of the audience did.

It wasn't until they saw Jongup on stage in his adorable costume and rather small sword, with the other lost boys. It took everything in the older brothers' powers to not cheer and holler when they saw Jongup. They need him to be focused.

Throughout the entire performance, the brothers were mostly waiting for their younger brother to show up again, but they were so entertained by the entire ballet that they barely forgot that Jongup was in it, until they saw his face again.

About two hours into the performance, it was over rather quickly. Jonghyun and Jongsung both stood up and applauded along with the audience, with Jonghyun whistling using his fingers.

"Alright, Jongup!" Jongsung cheered.

Jongup heard his name and skimmed through the crowd, finding his older brothers in the audience. He beamed and waved at them, smiling the biggest smile ever. The curtains fell down over the performers and the lights lit up. Jonghyun and Jongsung quickly let their seats and made their way backstage to congratulate their baby brother on a job well done.

When they went backstage, they saw Jongup already hugging a few of his cast mates and conversing with them.

"There is the man of the hour!" Jongsung shouted.

Jongup turned his head and smiled, holding a bouquet of gorgeous mixed colored roses.

"You guys came!" Jongup greeted, hugging both his older brothers tightly.

"We always do! You know, we also brought you flowers, but it looks like someone already beat us," Jonghyun said, holding a bouquet of lilies.

"Oh! Well," Jongup said, looking at the roses and his cheeks turning red.

"Ooh~! Someone has an admirer! Who's it from?" Jongsung said.

"It's nothing! Besides, I don't think they sent a card-"

"Oh look, a pretty card," Jonghyun said.

Jonghyun snatched the enveloped card before Jongup could take it from them and opened it, reading what's inside.

"To Jongup, you dance with elegance and grace. It reminds me of a rose in the summer, the soft breeze blowing it softly. I can't to see you again. Yours, Yongguk," Jongsung read off.

"Who's Yongguk?" Jonghyun asked him.

Jongup stared at him, and then whoever was behind him. The two turned around, seeing a male wearing a rather nice black suit and seemed embarrassed.

"Oh! So you're Yongguk! My brother has told us nothing, so this will be a great opportunity to know you better," Jonghyun said, wrapping his arm around Yongguk's neck.

"We were just going to go out to dinner to celebrate our baby brother's opening performance. We'd love it if you'd join us," Jongsung told him, guiding Jongup to follow him.

"Why was I born with you two?" Jongup demanded.

"You love us and you know it," Jongsung told him, smiling cheekily at him.

Jongup said nothing as the four of them left the auditorium (but not without Jongup changing into his regular clothes), and off they went to one of Jongup's favorite restaurants.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Meh, not very proud of this one, but I like it. Enjoy!


	5. Sweetest Drug

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Week 5: A story set in London.

Sometimes Youngjae hates living in the city. It's cold and bitter and very far away from where he lived. He likes living in London, there's no doubt about that. He just wishes he was closer to the family. Or that it was warmer. More towards the latter. He sighed softly to himself. London is way too bright for him. He's more used to the subtle lights, the soft sound of the oceans hitting the sand.

It will have to do for him, unfortunately.

The only upside to living in London was the fact that he got to take pictures. The pictures he got to take round the city was beautiful and ever scene he captured was remarkable.

Youngjae left his apartment, with a camera bag in hand and his wallet and keys in his pocket, and set off towards the magazine company. They were bringing in a new model today. The new model couldn't speak English, like most of the models that Youngjae deals with, but he only knew Korean. So, Youngjae was the only one that could be able to talk with the model.

When Youngjae entered inside the photography studio, it was pretty peaceful. The only sound that was being made was the sound of the telephones ringing.

"Morning, Youngjae," a female greeted.

"Morning, Lisa. How's Gary?" Youngjae asked her, setting his coffee down.

"Ugh. He did not want to get up. I literally had to drag him to the bathroom and left him there," Lisa told her.

"I will never understand your relationship. Anyway, did, I think his name is Junhong, come in?" Youngjae asked her.

"Um… His manager called and said he'll be a couple of minutes late. Something about a delay at the airport. He should be here soon. Oh, and he goes by the name Zelo," Lisa told her.

"Zelo? Alright then. Just send him up to me once he comes in," Youngjae told her.

"Will do," Lisa told him.

Youngjae took the elevator and pressed the number two. The magazine company that Youngjae decided to intern at was something that he expected. It was huge and gorgeous.

When the elevator dinged, the doors opened and Youngjae stepped out, walking towards where the other photographers were busy fixing their own devices.

"Morning," Youngjae greeted, drinking his coffee.

"Morning. Is the new model coming?" Henry asked him.

Youngjae shrugged his shoulders and set his camera bag on top of his desk. He took out his camera and began to set everything up. It only took a couple of minutes until everybody heard the elevator dinged. Youngjae looked up and saw a rather tall man with pale skin and dark brown hair enter the room, looking around like a lost puppy. He wanted to laugh, but he decided to hold it in.

"Hi, are you Junhong?" Henry asked him.

The male looked at him like he had three heads. Youngjae stood up and asked him the same thing, except in Korean.

"Oh, yes! My name is Choi Junhong, but I prefer to be called Zelo," Junhong introduced.

"Welcome. The fashion designers have your outfit ready in the dressing room. Please get ready and we'll start right away," Youngjae told him.

Junhong bowed to him politely and began to walk towards the dressing room.

"He's adorable," Isaac stated.

"You think everyone is adorable. When I started, you thought _I_ was adorable," Youngjae pointed out.

"With your baby face and small stature? Why wouldn't I?" Isaac pointed out.

"So why do you think this one is adorable?" Henry asked him.

"He looks like he belongs in high school still. I'm a sucker for baby faces," Isaac explained.

Youngjae ignored him and began to set his camera up. He heard the door open and saw Junhong coming out from the dressing room, wearing an open black shirt that showed a lot of muscles that Youngjae isn't comfortable with someone showing, tight jeans, and calf length boots. His hair was styled with some spikes in the back, with soft eyeliner around the eyes to make his eyes pop.

"You know what, I change my mind," he heard Isaac whisper. "Although he seems more your type."

Youngjae was about to slap him when Junhong walked up to them.

"So where do you want me?" Junhong asked.

"Just lay on the bed and we'll get started," Youngjae ordered.

\-----

After three hours of nonstop photo shooting with four different outfit changes and lunch being brought to them.

"Alright, I think that's enough for the day. We'll pick this up tomorrow and we'll try for the new Spring catalogue," Isaac announced.

Youngjae repeated what Isaac said to Junhong, who only nodded his head. Junhong walked towards the dressing room while Youngjae began to pack his camera into his camera bag.

"Youngjae, the rest of us are thinking of going to the pub for drinks. Wanna come?" Henry asked him.

"I'm not in the mood, sorry. I'm gonna go home and sleep," Youngjae told them.

Isaac and Henry said goodbye and made their way out of the room and towards the elevator. Youngjae, meanwhile, just finished packing his camera when Junhong stepped out of the dressing room.

"Oh, are you leaving?" Junhong asked him.

"Yep. I'll see you tomorrow," Youngjae told him.

"Wait!"

Youngjae turned around and waited for whatever it was that Junhong wanted to say.

"Um… I'll see you tomorrow," Junhong muttered.

Youngjae said nothing as he left the studio when Junhong standing awkwardly alone in the studio. He decided to leave, too, and make his way towards where the interviewer probably was. Youngjae pressed the down button, waited, and then stepped in when it arrived.

\-----

"Alright gentlemen! We have only two outfits for the spring collection, so we better make this work. Another good news, we get to go out to eat after we finish one outfit. So make it count!" Henry announced.

Youngjae let out a sigh of relief and began to get his camera ready. Junhong came out wearing a gray turtleneck sweater, dark blue jeans, and sneakers. He got himself comfortable in one of the chairs and stared up at them.

"You look too stiff. Try and relax a little," Youngjae instructed.

Youngjae fixed Junhong's posture a little and made him look cool. Youngjae stepped back and began to take pictures, with Isaac on his laptop clicking away and Henry pointing out which ones are good.

"These are excellent, Zelo. Excellent emotion, too. You look like you're really in love," Henry complimented.

Junhong perked up at his model name and looked at Youngjae for translation.

"He said that you're doing great," Youngjae said.

After an hour of shooting, it was time for lunch. Youngjae took out his wallet to see how much money he has. If he has enough, then he might go to that fish and chips shop that sells the really good garlic fries that he's been eyeing.

"Hey, um, Youngjae?"

He turned around and saw Junhong trailing right behind him.

"Can I… Is it okay if I take you out for lunch? It'll be me treat," Junhong requested.

Youngjae looked at his wallet and debated.

"Sure, why not," Youngjae answered.

\-----

"To be honest, I never tried fish and chips," Junhong admitted.

"Well, to put it into perspective, it's pretty much fish dipped in fried batter and the chips are actually French fries. I like this one because it has garlic in it," Youngjae explained.

Junhong seemed fascinated by that concept, for reasons unknown to Youngjae. Then again, he's lived in London for five years, so it may have just stopped being exciting to him.

"Oh, there are different types of fries," Junhong pointed out.

"Yep. Except here in London, they call it chips. No idea either, but they do," Youngjae said.

After ordering and sitting down at a nearby empty table, they waited patiently for their meal to be served.

"So why did you decided to come to London?" Junhong asked him.

Youngjae shrugged his shoulders. "It was something I wanted to do. I mean, it pays better, I get to live here for a while, and I thought living in a new country would be exciting. After a while, I just… didn't want to leave."

Junhong seemed to be studying him, to which it made Youngjae slightly uncomfortable.

"So why did you decide to go into modeling, Junhong?" Youngjae asked.

Junhong looked at bit stunned. Youngjae didn't really know why. It's his name.

"Well, it wasn't a first choice. I really wanted to be a dancer with my best friend back in Seoul. They were holding modeling auditions and Jongup – my best friend – dared me to enter. I did, and I won," Junhong answered.

"So you did it on a dare?" Youngjae asked, taking a sip of his soda.

"And a free meal, paid by Jongup of course. After a while, I didn't want to back out. Yeah, my plans changed a little, but life is never one straight narrow road. There will be forks here and there and I decided to choose one that wasn't initially on my path," Junhong explained.

"You should say that when they interview again about your life choices. A bunch of white people are going to use that now," Youngjae told him.

It only made Junhong laugh. After a couple of minutes, Youngjae's order was called and Youngjae quickly grabbed their meal and sat back down. Junhong looked at the fried fish and poked at it.

"It looks dry," Junhong told him.

"A little bit. That's why you put lemon on it."

\-----

After lunch, the two made their way back to the studio with full stomachs. Youngjae entered first, with Junhong trailing behind.

"You two were gone for long," Isaac commented, smirking.

"Nothing happened. We went out for lunch for fish and chips," Youngjae told him.

"Sounds like a date to me," Henry stated.

"Not a date," Youngjae said, getting his camera ready.

"Maybe not to you," Isaac voiced out.

Youngjae ignored him and waited for Junhong to come out from the dressing room. After a couple of minutes, he comes out wearing a silky white shirt with leather pants and leather boots.

"Youngjae if you don't take him, I will," Isaac whispered.

Youngjae pushed him away and began to get ready. Junhong sat on the bed and leaned on it, playing around with a rose that was laying on the bed. Youngjae took quick snaps and Junhong looked at him. Youngjae felt something warm trailing down his pants and oh hey, when did his pants get tight?

He ignored it and took quick snaps of Junhong giving him the come hither face.

"Alright, now lay on the bed and we'll get some shots of those," Youngjae told him.

He could hear Henry and Isaac making sexual comments that Youngjae pretty much tuned out. Youngjae kept taking pictures, of Junhong mostly playing around with a rose between his lips and teeth and he really wanted Junhong to stop.

"Alright, we're done for the day. Zelo, our boss wants to talk to you," Henry said.

Youngjae quickly translated, to which Junhong responded and went to change into his regular clothes. Youngjae quickly packed his things and was ready to leave.

"I think Zelo likes you," Henry told him.

"Junhong? Why would you-"

"He's pretty much eye-fucking the camera. That usually means either he's very promiscuous, which I doubt, or he really wants to fuck you," Henry explained.

"That's insane. We barely met. If he has sexual feelings towards me, it usually means that he's horny and hardly anybody's touched him," Youngjae concludes.

"I'm just saying that I think he has a crush on you. It happens with these models. Doesn't work out, but it happens," Henry stated.

Youngjae ignores him as he makes his way towards the elevator. It seems to him that Youngjae has been ignoring both Isaac and Henry whenever they mention something about Junhong. Maybe it's because his two friends/co-workers are tired of seeing their friend/co-worker lonely and sad. He's not, but Isaac and Henry think he is. All he needs right now is to go home, take a nice bath, and go to sleep.

\-----

_Five months later_

Apparently, a lot can happen in five months, to Youngjae's sad reality. It turns out that the boss wanted to see Junhong because he was offered a spot on the modeling district of the company. Youngjae didn't mind at first, until Henry and Isaac told him that Junhong is officially on their team. It was still fine with Youngjae. It wasn't until two months in that Youngjae may have developed a small, pinning with Junhong that Isaac and Henry still make fun of. Junhong's English is getting a little better, but it was still choppy. And most of the English was used to flirt with Youngjae on the daily.

"He likes you~!" Henry sang out.

Youngjae was ready to stab someone.

"Alright gentlemen! It's an easy day. We need a new sexy cover because boss says so and we do great with sexy. Zelo, into the leather pants with you," Henry ordered, shooing Junhong into the dressing room.

"I think we're sexualizing him too much," Youngjae voiced out.

"Oh please, you love it. I've seen you eyeing those pictures you take. Don't think we don't notice," Henry told him.

Youngjae glared at them and was about to say something when Junhong came out of the dressing room, wearing nothing but a swimsuit. Youngjae couldn't help but stare at his toned abs and wondered what sort of sound Junhong would make if he liked it.

Then he shook the thoughts from his head and went to take some pictures.

"Alright Junhong, this is for the summer catalogue. Just stand in front of the beach scene and look pretty," Youngjae ordered.

\-----

Youngjae leaned his head against the table and scratched at it. He has a hopeless crush on a man he sorta-kinda knows and it's killing him a little.

"Hey Youngjae," someone greeted.

Youngjae looked up and saw Daehyun, his long time best friend and the person who introduced this job to him.

"Hi," Youngjae said sadly.

"Still hung up on Junhong?" Daehyun asked.

"Why does everyone know this? Do I mistakenly blab about it on accident? How?" Youngjae demanded.

"Relax. It's kind of hard not to notice, since you've done nothing but stare at him," Daehyun said.

Yougjae only glared and leaned his head back against the table.

"I'm fucked," Youngjae concluded.

"Or, if you were man enough, could get fucked by someone else," Daehyun offered.

"I'm not talking to you about this," Youngjae stated.

He got up from his seat and made his way back to the studio. He forgot his phone and he needs it in order to call a pizza place or a fast food place that does delivery. All those saved contacts.

He entered the photoshoot and saw his cellphone resting idly on Isaac's desk. He grabbed his phone and was about to walk out.

"Youngjae?" a familiar voice that's been haunting his dreams called out.

"Junhong? What are you doing here? Especially so late," Youngjae asked him.

"I forgot something. Namely my keys," Junhong answered.

"Oh. Well, I'll see you tomorr-"

"Do you like me?" Junhong asked.

Youngjae froze, staring at him.

"I'm trying to figure it out. I know you don't like me, but I'm not sure if you like me. Isaac and Henry, although I do try to understand them, say that you do, but it's so difficult to read you," Junhong said.

"I-"

"Kiss me."

Youngjae stared at him.

"Excuse me?"

"You heard me. Kiss me," Junhong dared.

"I'm not going to-"

"Just do it. What's a harmless kiss going to- hmph!"

Youngjae grabbed Junhong by the color and smacked his lips against Junhong's. Although it did hurt a little bit, Junhong's mouth was soft and plush. Junhong kissed him back, guiding him towards the bed that it mostly used for props.

"I want you," Junhong muttered, breaking the kiss.

"Then take me," Youngjae mewled.

Junhong placed Youngjae on the bed and kissed him everywhere. From his face to his lips, down to his neck. Youngjae let out soft moans and let Junhong take him, and all he felt was bliss.

\-----

Youngjae traced Junhong's shoulder with his ring finger ever so gently. He didn't want to wake him up, even though the two need to before the company decides to lock them both up. And they really don't need Isaac and Henry to make fun of them.

"Hm, hello," Junhong greeted.

"Hello. We need to leave," Youngjae stated.

"Why? I dun wanna," Junhong slurred.

"We have to. Or else we'll get locked inside and I really don't want to explain this to Henry and Isaac," Youngjae said.

Youngjae was the first to slide off the bed. He put on his clothes and was about to put on his shoes when Junhong stopped him.

"What does this make us?" Junhong asked.

Youngjae looked up and shrugged his shoulders.

"I don't know. What do you want it to be?" Youngjae asked him.

"I kind of… want to date you. I've had a crush on you since we've met, and that itself sounds like a load of garbage," Junhong said.

"So you want to be boyfriends?" Youngjae asked.

"More than anything," Junhong said.

"Then we are. But first, we need to leave. Like now. The company closes in twenty minutes and they shut down the elevators in ten," Youngjae said.

The two got dressed and made their way out of the photoshoot. When Youngjae left the company, he realized that he forgot his phone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, I didn't meet the deadline, but it's sunday so it counts!  
> Also, I didn't plan for that to happen at all oops.


	6. Shine Bright

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Week 6: A story about finding something that has been lost.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I skipped Himdae because I wanted to write a sappy bangup Valentine's Day fic. (Cause I wanna.) So, I'll write two himdae fics in the next two weeks. So tah!

Pink and red hearts were scattered around the coffee shop that Jongup decided to enter. Jongup fiddled around with his jagged rock, looking at the menu behind the counter. There were so many choices.

"Hi! Are you ready to order?" one of the baristas asked him.

Jongup continued staring at the menu until he finally decided to order. (Iced macchiato, like always.) He took his drink and went next door to the local bookshop. He needed a couple of new books to add to his ever-growing collection. Again, it was decorated with pink and red hearts, with some white to throw in the mix. In the center was a stack of books to celebrate Valentine's Day that was coming up in a few weeks. It made Jongup sick.

"Not a fan of the holiday?" a voice asked him.

He looked up and saw a male that was a couple inches taller than him, with shaggy black hair and a bit thin.

"How do you know?" Jongup asked him.

"Either you really hate John Green and Nicholas Sparks, or you really hate the holiday. Take your pick," the man answered.

Jongup only stared at him, then looked down at the man's own rock. It was dull, like his.

"I'm just not a romantic," Jongup told him.

"Isn't everyone?" the man asked.

"Are you?" Jongup questioned.

The man only smiled and picked on of the books from the romantic pile.

"Something like that. I just love love," the man answered, taking the book with him.

Jongup continued staring at the dull rock on the man's neck. Most people he knew who were big time romantics had their rocks already lit up and colorful, yet this man's necklace was still dull.

"I'm Jongup," he introduced.

"Yongguk. And I'd appreciate that you stop staring at my necklace," the man requested.

Well, Jongup knew he was caught.

"I'm sorry, it's just… most people I know who haven't found The One were usually cynical," Jongup explained.

"What, like you?"

Jongup rolled his eyes.

"I don't mind romance. I just don't like the holiday. Why celebrate something for one day when you can celebrate it year round," Jongup explained.

Jongup began walking towards where his usual genre of books would be. In a couple of tables were books wrapped in brown paper with a couple of signs that says 'Blind Date with A Book'.

"Well, sometimes people like doing something extra special for their sweetheart. Even if my own gemstone hasn't lit up yet because I haven't found mine, doesn't mean I should shit on everyone else's happiness," Yongguk said, following right behind him and inspecting the wrapped books.

"Never said that, to be honest. Maybe one day, I'll learn to appreciate it," Jongup responded.

He, too, inspected the wrapped books. He grew very curious as to which books seemed interesting to him. The descriptions were rather vague, but he grabbed three and held them close to his chest.

"For someone who doesn't like romance, you sure picked a couple of romance books," Yongguk pointed out.

"I like books, and I don't care what sort of genre it is. By the way, this is not romance, but fantasy!" Jongup pointed out.

Yongguk only laughed and to Jongup, it sounded like soft music to his ears.

"Well, this was entertaining, but my shift is starting soon," Yongguk told him.

"Shift? Where do you work?" Jongup asked.

Before Yongguk could answer, he heard Himchan, someone that works there and knows Jongup personally, called out for Yongguk.

"Yongguk! You're starting in a couple of minutes. Why are you conversing with this loiterer?" Himchan questioned.

"Excuse you, I actually pay for my shit," Jongup told him.

"Right. It's that other loiterer that comes in here flirting with one of my cashiers," Himchan recalled.

Jongup only giggled and held out his items to Himchan, who only stared at him.

"I'm not your maid! If you want to check those out, walk over there to do so," Himchan told him.

Jongup only pouted as Himchan made his way towards the back. He looked back at Yongguk, who seemed a bit embarrassed.

"So you're the new guy Youngjae kept telling me," Jongup said.

Yongguk's cheeks looked tinged red, and Jongup wouldn't help thinking that it was adorable.

"I should check in. I'll see you some other time, Jongup," Yongguk told him.

Jongup smiled softly and began to make his way towards the front. He looked over at the book that Yongguk picked up earlier from the romance pile in the front. _The Night Circus_. He looked through the book real quick to see what it was about. He added the book to his pile and walked towards the front where the cashiers would be. He set them down in front of Youngjae, who only stared at the brown wrapping.

"I hope you know that it'll be a pain to scan these," Youngjae told them.

"No it's not," Jongup pointed out, staring at the barcodes that rest on the counter.

"Well, to me they are! Anyway, how are you?" he asked.

"Fine, I guess. I met the new guy," Jongup said.

"Oh, Yongguk. Yeah, he's a real sweetheart. He helps kids find the books they want and helps old ladies reach for their books. The dude's a saint," Youngjae explained as he began to scan the books.

Jongup took a quick glance at Youngjae's necklace. It was glowing a glorious yellow with jagged lines. He remembered when he introduced his friend, Junhong, to Youngjae. A few days later, Junhong was showing Jongup his brilliant baby blue necklace that was dull a few days ago.

"Oh hey, this is Yongguk's favorite book," Youngjae pointed out.

"Is it?" Jongup questioned.

"Yeah. He suggested it be in the Valentine's Day pile, although I don't see why. Anyway, will you be paying cash or credit?" Youngjae asked.

Jongup paid in cash and left the bookstore. He reached into the bag and pulled out _The Night Circus_. It was such an intriguing color. A black, red, and white circus tent with a clock on top. A white hand was holding the circus tent with a black background and white dots. It was a gorgeous color, but Jongup didn't completely understand why he got it. He shook the thoughts from his head and began to make his way home. He has books to read.

\-----

Jongup made his way towards the park. It's was a gorgeous day. The sun was shining brightly, not a single cloud in the sky, and the breeze was very light. He chose a bench right underneath the tree and sat down comfortable. He cracked open the book and began to read. _The Night Circus_ was an interesting read. There was so much magic and mystery, and the romance was subtle but he loved it.

"Jongup?" a familiar voice called out.

Jongup looked up and saw Yongguk standing next to him.

"Oh, hi!" Jongup greeted.

"Hi. May I sit next to you?" Yongguk asked him.

Jongup motioned for him to sit down. Jongup continues to read and could feel a pair of eyes staring at him.

"I'd appreciate you not staring," Jongup said, not even bothering to look up from his book.

"I'm sorry," Yongguk muttered.

Jongup looked up and saw Yongguk's cheeks turning a bright red. He smiled softly and mouthed 'cute' to him.

"What are you reading?" Yongguk asked him.

Jongup showed him the book he's reading and smiled softly when Yongguk's eyes lit up. It was exciting to see someone excited about a book.

"What part are you on?" Yongguk asked him.

"Um… where Bailey sneaks out," Jongup said, looking at the page in front of him.

Yongguk looked at the page he was on and smiled widely. For the next two hours, the two only talked about their favorite books. What their favorite characters were, their ideal setting of where they want to read, and their travel plans. Jongup learned so much about Yongguk within the first two hours than he thought he would. He noticed the sun was setting, so he gathered his things and got up from the bench.

"I have to go. It's getting late," Jongup told him.

"Let me walk you home?" Yongguk asked, which was new.

"No, it's fine. I don't live that far, anyway," he said, smiling softly.

Yongguk smiled brightly at him and nodded his head. "So we'll meet again."

Jongup only smiled and began to make his way home, his rock feeling warm against his skin.

\-----

For the next couple of days, Yongguk and Jongup have been conversing and meeting up every chance they got. Every time Jongup was near Yongguk, his rock would get warmer and warmer. The two were sitting outside for coffee, with their respective books laid out next to them. (Yongguk's was _The Night Circus_ , Jongup's was _The Hobbit_.)

"Do you ever wonder why we have those? The crystals?" Yongguk blurted out.

"I just thought it was to find our soulmates," Jongup confessed.

"Well, that's what it was meant for at first. After a while, it was getting harder for people to find their soulmates, so it was soon developed for people to find the one they share a bond with, whether it's sexual, platonic, or romantic. The color usually depends on what your true colors are," Yongguk explained, playing around with his own rock.

"Why do you call it a crystal? It's a rock, isn't it?" Jongup asked.

"It is, but I like to call it a crystal. It may not have colors, but it's still a crystal to me," Yongguk confessed.

Jongup stared at his own rock. He noticed that there were hints of green today, but it soon disappeared.

"So when does it light up?" Jongup asked.

"I don't know. My mom told me the story when I was young. She said that you just know," Yongguk answered, staring at his own plastic coffee cup.

Jongup stared at his iced macchiato. He drew lightly on the condensation that was forming on the cup.

"Then what are the signs? I'm sure your mom said something about that," Jongup said.

Yongguk was silent. Jongup looked up and saw Yongguk just staring at him. Jongup was flattered, but something about the silence made it a bit awkward.

"She said something about warmth. How the crystal would feel warm on your chest whenever you're away from someone," Yongguk explained.

Jongup let the cool rock dance along his fingers. He did feel the rock turn warm whenever he was away from Yongguk, but he didn't see it as anything else.

"Shit. My lunch break is ending soon. I have to go," Yongguk told him.

"See you tomorrow? Same spot different book?" Jongup asked.

"We'll see," Yongguk told him.

Jongup watched Yongguk walking away from the coffee shop. He felt the rock turn warm again. Something was up.

\-----

Later that night, while Jongup was lying in bed, he stared up at his glittered ceiling. The fan was the only noise that could be heard throughout the room. It was then he realized-

"I'm in love with Yongguk," Jongup muttered to himself.

The dark room suddenly turned a forest green right before his eyes.

"I'm in love with Bang Yongguk and it fucking hurts," Jongup muttered to himself, rolling over to smother the light from his rock.

\-----

The next day was Valentine's Day. The one day Jongup was dreading. He needed to tell Yongguk. The thing was, he was scared. He never thought he'd find something that he thought he lost years ago when he thought he loved his best friend, Junhong. But then Yongguk came into the picture and everything changed, and he couldn't let it stop.

"Jongup!" he heard Yongguk call out.

Jongup looked up and saw Yongguk walking his way towards him, a rather huge and gummy smile spreading across his face. He couldn't help himself but smile back at him. He felt so warm and the rock glowing again, but he made sure to hide it underneath layers of clothes.

"Hey," Jongup greeted, smiling warmly.

"I see you already ordered for me," Yongguk noted, sitting down across from him.

"Well, you order the same thing, don't you? Fruity iced tea," Jongup told him.

Yongguk smiled fondly and took a sip of his drink. He set a new book down on the table, the cover red with intricate letters on the cover.

"Red Riding Hood? Didn't depict you as a fairytale type of person," Jongup told him.

"I like the color red. Sometimes, you have to judge a book by one's cover, even if the results are not what you expect," Yongguk told him.

Jongup set his own down, a lighter green cover with a drawn forest on it.

"Linger. That's a good book, I heard," Yongguk said, staring at the cover.

Jongup said nothing as he took a sip of his drink. He had to do this. He had to. If he didn't, he'll regret it and maybe his rock will change back into a dull, lifeless ornament around his neck. It happened before, and he doesn't want it to happen again. He pulled out his glowing necklace from his shirt and showed it to Yongguk. Yongguk, however, only stared at the rock in wonder.

"I'm in love with you, Bang Yongguk," Jongup confessed.

Jongup saw Yongguk take out his own necklace and showed it to him. It was glowing a ruby red and it looked so brilliant.

"I'm in love with you, too, Moon Jongup," Yongguk confessed, giving him a soft smiled.

Jongup bit his lip and chewed on his lower lip. He felt the older grab one of his hands and kissed it ever so softly. Jongup looked up and saw Yongguk staring at him.

"Happy Valentine's Day. Maybe now you'll understand what the romance novels were talking about," Yongguk said.

Jongup only snorted.

"Please. I wasn't looking for love," Jongup stated.

"No, but you did find what you lost, did you not?" Yongguk asked.

Jongup stared at him and raised an eyebrow.

"Himchan told me. How you were in love with Junhong and how your crystal shined a gorgeous seafoam green, but then it dulled when you saw Junhong's crystal turn baby blue. You knew it wasn't for you, so you lost your color," Yongguk confessed.

Jongup pulled his hand back and stared at Yongguk's melted iced tea.

"I just didn't think I'd get my color back. I thought Junhong was my one true love. And then you talked to me, and I just… knew, I guess. Well, along the way. Right now it just feels… right," Jongup confessed.

Yongguk smiled and Jongup couldn't help but smile back.

Later on in the day, Jongup challenged him to a paintball fight and Jongup won.


	7. 500 Miles

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Week 7: A story about a journey.

When Daehyun woke up, he remembered a splitting headache. He placed his hand on his head. He felt something rather wet on his hand. He looked down and didn't see any blood. He furrowed his eyebrows and touched his head again. He felt bandages and something warm again. He looked at a mirror and saw that his head was wrapped in bandages and what he felt was warm was actually the water coming from his hair.

"I see our patient is up. Do you know where you are?" an unfamiliar voice with a rather unfamiliar accent asked him. He looked up and saw a rather pretty nurse with dark blue scrubs on and her hair tied in a high ponytail.

"I... no. Where am I?" Daehyun asked him.

"New York, sweetheart. You were in an accident not too long ago. Thankfully you seem fine, but we have to check on that head of yours. We're going to start with easy questions, alright. Do you know what your name is?" the nurse asked him.

"Daehyun. My name is Daehyun," he answered.

"Excellent. Now, judging by your accent, you're Korean. Do you know what part of Korea you lived in?" the nurse asked him.

Daehyun shook his head. He remembered something warm, the smell of salt, but he didn't know what that meant.

"I didn't think so," she said. She marked something down on her clipboard and stuck the pen behind her ear.

"Do you know anyone we can contact? Or is your memory limited right now?" the nurse asked him.

Daehyun remembered a male, with black hair and a smile so wide that it revealed dimples on his eyes. He was pale, he remembered, but he looked so healthy, and so lovely. He couldn't place his name, though, and it's troubling him.

"I... I remember a man. I don't- I don't know his name, though," Daehyun told her.

"What does the man look like?" the nurse asked him.

"Beautiful."

There were so many words that Daehyun wanted to use, but the word popped into his head. He felt a sharp pain in his head. He just remembered the man yelling at him playfully. About what, he didn't know.

"I'll let you rest now. You've had a long day," the nurse told her.

"When... when can I leave?" Daehyun asked her.

"We'll see," the nurse answered.

It didn't really help. Daehyun had to leave. He had to see the man again. Maybe the man was the key to help him gain his memory. But why was he in New York in the first place? He doesn't remember anything about the place, so it was obvious that this place means nothing to him. He took a deep breath and stared at the clean white ceiling. Maybe he'll get out a lot sooner than he knows.

\-----

Daehyun was wrong. He stayed there for another two weeks. The police came in a couple of times, asking about what happened to him, and gave him his things that he dropped. Apparently there was an accident that involved his taxi crashing with a drunk driver that wasn't supposed to be on the road. The taxi driver's fine; just a couple of scrapes and bruises. It was Daehyun that suffered the most. Daehyun looked through his wallet to see if there was anything that he could use to retrieve his memory. Sadly, all there was was his driver's license from the state of New York, so Daehyun must've lived here for a long time, a couple of dollar bills, a credit card, and a few vouchers from fast food restaurants. Apparently he likes to eat a lot.

"Alright, Mr. Jung. You're discharged from the hospital. We've called a cab for you to take you home. Can you be able to make it there?" the nurse asked him. Daehyun never got around to knowing her name. Well, maybe he did know it, but he doesn't remember.

"Okay."

After a couple of minutes of changing into a pair of clean clothes that was no doubt borrowed from someone else, Daehyun was being wheeled out in a wheelchair and into the fresh air of New York. It smelled like smog.

"Remember, if you feel a slight pain, you come straight back here, do you understand?" the nurse asked him.

"Crystal," Daehyun answered.

"Good. You take care out there now."

Daehyun got up from the wheelchair and walked towards the cab. He got in and read off the address on his license. It took about fifty minutes to get there. He paid for his fare and got out of the cab. He walked up to the building and got out his keys. They were let by the officers a few days ago, saying this and his wallet were the only things that were savaged. He placed the key inside the lock and turned it. He walked inside the house and looked around. He shut the door behind him, took off his shoes, and walked through the house. There had to be something for him to remember. He can't just forget.

The pictures on the wall gave a vague sense of familiarity, but nothing seemed to happen. No pain, no headache, and definitely no remembrance. He continued to stare at the pictures and saw one that he couldn't take his eyes off. He was taller than him, with pale skin and dark hair. He had what Daehyun wanted to call bunny teeth. Next to the man was him, who looked at the stranger with some sort of emotion that Daehyun wasn't entirely familiar with. He felt a sharp pain in his head and clenched his teeth together.

_"Come on and take a picture with me!"_

_"Why? I look horrid," Daehyun whined._

_"Horrid? Did New York change you that much?"_

_"You know what I mean! If I keep this picture hanging, people are going to wonder what this loser is doing with a guy like you," Daehyun explained._

_"Well, I'll just tell them that you're my boyfriend and that I'm stuck with this loser."_

_Daehyun poked his tongue out, but agreed anyway. He positioned his cell phone so that the two could fit in the picture. Before the flash came in, Daehyun turned his head to look at him._

_"You ruined the picture!"_

_"I did not! I made it look better."_

"Son of a bitch!" Daehyun shouted, stomping his foot on the ground. This wasn't fair!

He heard a knock on the door and Daehyun walked over towards the door to answer it. It was a man a few inches shorter than him, with dyed red hair and a beauty mark on his nose.

"I heard you shouting. You okay?" the man asked.

"Who are you and why are you concerned?" Daehyun asked, rubbing his forehead.

"Um... I'm Jongup. You're neighbor, remember? Are you okay?" the man asked.

"'m sorry. I was in an accident and now I can't remember a lot," Daehyun explained.

"Oh! Oh, that explains a lot. Himchan was wondering what's going on with you," Jongup told him.

Himchan?

"Well, I'm fine, really. Now if you'll excuse me, I need some sleep. I'll talk to you in the morning, neighbor," Daehyun told him.

He didn't let Jongup say another word before he closed the door on him. He needed to find this man. Maybe he's in Korea, but it's such a narrow search that he can't just search the entirety of Korea. He doesn't know if he should start in North or South first. Possibly South if anything. Even so, there were so many countries and cities to even find the man.

He doesn't even know his name.

Daehyun walked towards where he believes is his room and began to turn his laptop on. Thankfully there was no password to his laptop, so it made it a little easier. He clicked on his files and saw picture after picture of the same man he saw before. Most if the pictures were taken on the beach, other times in the city. It didn't really narrow his search by much.

He felt a pain in his forehead again. It hurt like last time, too. He dug his nails into his thighs and took a deep breath.

_"I love the smell of the sea!" Daehyun declared, standing on top of a rock._

_"It smells rotten, to be honest. Why are we in a fish market again?"_

_"We need to pick up some fish for my mom. And you love the smell, too!" Daehyun stated, getting off the rock._

_"I'm only in Busan because I love you and would rather live here than Seoul."_

_Daehyun only smiled cheekily and kissed the man's face sloppily._

_"Love you, too!"_

Busan. Busan was where Daehyun needed to head to first. He clicked on a couple of traveling sights to see what's the cheapest flight to head out to Busan. He needed to get to the man. Maybe the man was the key to his memories.

After much search and price checking, Daehyun found a flight to Busan in two days early in the morning. It was the only flight he could find that was so soon.

It was getting late, so he decided to go to bed and finally allow himself to sleep.

\-----

Daehyun stuffed as much clothes as he could into his bag and placed it next to the door. He grabbed his cell phone, his keys, and anything else that he needed to take with him on this long journey. It was going to be a bit tough, because he doesn't know where to start in Busan. He googled the place a bit to see what the country was like, and it was gorgeous. However, there were many different districts that he didn't know of. He decided to start small. He remembered the ocean, so he decided to start where the district where the oceans were.

It turns out the first place Daehyun went to, everybody knew his name as he continued walking around the district. At least he knows he's in the right place.

He would go up to random people and point at the picture of the stranger, but they would only shake their head, saying that they don't know. Daehyun only thanked them and moved on. It wasn't until he got towards the end of the district where someone recognized him.

"Oh, I know him! He moved to Seoul about three or four years ago," the older man answered.

"Seoul?" Daehyun questioned.

"Yes. Said he couldn't handle living in Busan anymore. Something about his friend," the man explained.

Daehyun felt a bit disappointed. He stared at the picture of the stranger and looked around.

"Where's the nearest train? I need to make a stop," Daehyun asked him.

"A couple miles from here. Just keep going straight and you'll find it," the man answered.

Daehyun then made his way towards the train station. He looked through the locations that was stopping by. It only took a few train stops to get to Seoul. He orders his tickets and waits for his train to come by. He stared at the people around him. He felt a bit of a pain in his head, causing him to curl up and dig his nails into his hands.

_"What do you mean you're leaving?"_

_"I have to. The company is moving and they want me to go with them," Daehyun explained._

_"You can't just up and leave! What about our plans? You promised."_

_"It's only going to be for five years. After that, I'll come home and we can live in our nice house together, like we planned," Daehyun said._

_Daehyun packed the last of his shirt, until a pale hand stopped him._

_"You can't leave me. Not when I need you, too."_

_"I'm not going to the army. I'm coming right back. Maybe you can come with me," Daehyun offered._

_"You know I can't. My job is here."_

_Daehyun only sighed and kissed his cheek softly._

_"Like I said. I'll be home soon. We'll visit each other as much as we can. Before you know it, we'll be back into each other's arms," Daehyun promised._

_The man only nodded his head and kissed Daehyun softly._

Daehyun opened his eyes and saw his train just arriving. He got up from the hard bench and walked inside the train. It was then that he realized that he should've asked the older man what district the man lives in now.

\-----

After taking three different trains and sleeping through one of them, Daehyun was able to arrive to Seoul. He got off the train and immediately took in the sights around him. It was late at night and everybody was walking quickly towards their destination. Daehyun needed to start fast. The first couple of talked to said they never saw the man, and it was the same thing through the first district. It took him three districts before someone recognized the person in the picture.

"He lives up on the hill not too far from here. He should be there now," the older woman told him.

Daehyun thanked the woman and began to set his journey towards the house on the hill. It turns out that many people lived on the hill. He looked at the different intricate houses and debated which one to start. He saw a woman walking her dog and went up to her.

"Excuse me, I'm looking for this man. Can you help me?" Daehyun asked her, showing her the picture.

"Oh, he lives in the blue house. You can't miss it. It's the one with the gorgeous garden all over," the woman answered.

Daehyun thanked her and began to walk up the street. He found a couple of blue houses, but none with a beautiful garden. It wasn't until he reached almost to the top did he see a gorgeous garden with a baby blue home attached to it. He walked towards the house and rang the doorbell. The searing headache soon came and he gritted his teeth while closing his eyes.

_The sheets were rumpled against their bodies, warm skin grazing each other softly. Daehyun looked up at the man and smiled softly._

_"Hello love," the man whispered._

_"Mm, hello yourself. Told you this weekend would be romantic," Daehyun said._

_"Yes, but your news was surely a surprise," the man stated._

_"I'll be coming home in a year. We'll be coming home soon to Seoul, in our blue house and pretty garden," Daehyun told him, kissing his chest._

_"Hm… I can't believe they let you stay here for almost eight years."_

_"I know, and I'm very disappointed really. At least now we'll be together again soon," Daehyun promised._

_"Mm. I love you Jung Daehyun," the man whispered._

_"I love you, too, Kim Himchan."_

"Himchan," Daehyun whispered.

He heard the door open and he turned around, seeing the man in the pictures in front of him. He dark hair is dyed blond with a soft pink shirt and sweats on.

"Daehyun," Himchan whispered.

"I'm home," Daehyun told him.


	8. War Is Hell

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Week 8: A story set during a war.

War was terrifying. Himchan knew that. Daehyun knew that. When Himchan got the letter that he was drafted into the war, the two were scared.

"We could leave, you know. Go somewhere where they won't find us," Daehyun offered, clutching onto his fiancé's hand.

"I have to. If not me, then they'll possibly go after you. This war is terrifying as it is. I'm going because after two years, I'll come home. And the war will be over," Himchan told him, kissing his forehead softly.

Daehyun pouted, staring at the necklace that Himchan gave to him as an engagement ring.

"Just promise me you'll make it back alive. I don't care if you come back with one arm gone or you're paralyzed from the waist down. Just make it home alive," Daehyun said, holding onto Himchan's hands.

Himchan smiled softly and kissed Daehyun's hands.

"I promise. Even if I'm bleeding out, I'll make them make sure that I get home alive," Himchan said.

Daehyun sighed and curled up against him. Himchan ran his hands through the younger's soft hair and kissed his temple gently. The two made their way to bed and made sure that the two spent the entire day together tomorrow, because after tomorrow they know that Himchan will be drafted into the war.

\-----

After getting himself screened for any health problems or weight problems, they sent him out towards the campgrounds. Everything was so packed. They told him that different soldiers would be placed in different countries to help with the war. They said it was the next World War, and it terrified Himchan a little.

"You look lost," a voice greeted.

Himchan turned around and saw someone his age, with shaggy black hair and wearing a dark green tank top and pants.

"I'm not used to this. It's still new," Himchan explained.

"Yeah, so I've been told. Let me give you a short tour. Over in that tent with the cross is the health center. Any health problems and you go straight there. Most of the men take advantage of it and use it to meet the nurses. Jokes on them, we have male nurses. The females are in the other camp.

"Over in that tent next to it is the weaponry. State of the art technology. We each get assigned a weapon, we train with it, and then we bring it back. We won't know our results until later in the day.

"Over in that building is where some of us are staying. Believe me, after a few nights, you get used to it," the man introduced.

Himchan stared at the man in front of him. He seemed to know what's going on.

"I'm Yongguk, by the way. Bang Yongguk," the man introduced.

"Kim Himchan. So where are you stationed?" he asked.

"No clue. I was drafted, like you."

Himchan was a bit baffled.

"How- how did you know I was drafted?" Himchan asked him.

"If you volunteered, you'd be jumping for joy. Get jittery. My dad was once in a war, and told me all these crazy stories of how men, and some women, would volunteer thinking that you'd get the glory and everything, but it turned out it wasn't what they wanted. See, the ones who volunteer don't understand what they're losing. The ones who get drafted do," Yongguk explained.

"So then who are you losing?" Himchan asked.

Before Yongguk had time to answer, the two heard the sound of a whistle.

"Good morning, gentlemen! My name is Sergeant Song and I'll be leading you through boot camp. At the end of the week, you'll be assigned to your station. Those who pass will get to travel. Those who fail will be supplying ammunition. This is war, boys, and the world needs our very small help. Now, get in line!"

The whistle was blown and everybody was scrambling to get in line. Himchan stood in line next to a rather large sweaty man and Yongguk.

"Boys, welcome to hell," Sergeant Song greeted.

\-----

Himchan laid down on the bed and felt his chest heaving. He hated boot camp. He hated the army. Thankfully it was only the end of the week, and it meant that he would get his results. He could be stationed somewhere across the seas, away from the training camp.

He could also be supplying ammunition, which didn't seem that bad, until he was told that he had to make them.

"You look wiped," Yongguk commented, poking his side.

"How are you not tired? We're all exhausted," Himchan asked.

"Oh no, I am. I just don't show it, is all."

Himchan sighed and sat back up. He took out his wallet and saw the picture of Daehyun smiling back at him. It was taken about a year into their relationship. He thought he was being cute when he took the selfie. To be honest, it was a better picture of him (instead of the scantly clad pictures that he kept at home).

"Who's that?" he heard Yongguk ask.

Himchan immediately snapped his wallet closed. He doesn't know who in the army was okay with him being not straight, but he'd rather not take the chance.

"Just... a friend," Himchan answered.

Yongguk only stared at him.

"Doesn't look like a friend, the way you were staring at him," Yongguk said.

Himchan said nothing. Yongguk shifted and took out his own wallet. He pulled out a picture of a man with a rather bright smile and a mole on his nose. The picture looked cropped, so he didn't know who he was taking the selfie with.

"His name is Jongup. We were going to get married in a couple of days, but then I got drafted. Worst few days of our lives. He said that he was willing to wait for me, to put the wedding off until I come home. He means everything to me, and I'm sure that the man in that picture means a lot to you as well," Yongguk explained.

Himchan looked up at Yongguk, and then at the picture.

"His name is Daehyun. His family doesn't really support our relationship, so we've kept it a secret from his side of the family. We met at a local bakery not too far from where we live. He was the baker and I just happened to stop by," Himchan recalled.

It was so long ago, Himchan thought, from when he first saw Daehyun. He thought the younger was a bit annoying, always asking him out, even though Himchan always gave the same answer. When Daehyun grew up a little, he decided to give Himchan sweets to show his affection, and Himchan had to admit that it did work a bit.

"I'm so scared. What if I get put into the army? What if I don't make it back? What if two years have gone by and he found someone else?" Himchan wondered, tracing the picture gently.

"There's many 'what if's in the world. What if I lose a limb? What if I get sent to make ammunition? What if I didn't get drafted? I think we should stop focusing on the 'what if' and focus on how we'll survive," Yongguk answered.

Himchan sighed and laid back down on the bed. It was getting dark outside and many of the men were coming back inside to sleep. The next day, everybody will know where they will be placed. Himchan wasn't really looking forward to that.

\-----

"Good morning, gentlemen! Nice to see your shining faces," Sergeant Song greeted.

Himchan didn't know whether the sergeant was joking or if they really did have shining faces. Himchan certainly didn't.

"When I call your name, I want you to step forward. Jung Taekwoon," the sergeant called out.

One by one, many names were called and each one stepped out of line. A couple was being sent to France, some to England, a few majority in Japan, and a small group stationed in South Korea. However, the people going to Japan were going to be stationed in Latin countries, as Song explained. Himchan felt his heart beating. There were still so few people, and Himchan was scared shitless.

"Bang Yongguk," Song called out.

Yongguk, who stood next to Himchan stepped forward. He didn't seem enthusiastic.

"Kim Himchan."

Himchan stepped forward. He looked at a few more people he called out. Some were familiar, others looked like strangers.

"Congratulations. You lot are going to be stationed in the United States. I suggest you pack your things and get yourself ready to board the next plane," Song ordered.

Himchan and Yongguk, along with the other soldiers, did as they were told. They grabbed their duffle bags and followed one another towards the moving plane. Himchan looked at the rest of the soldiers and knew that they were going to start making ammunition. He felt so sorry for them, but he knew that there was nothing he could do.

"I heard most of the fighting is in the North American region. So we're going where all the action is," one of the soldiers said excitedly.

"Listen, we just want to do our part and leave. None of us are as excited as you are," another told him.

"Oh please, I bet you're just as excited to fight as much as the rest of us," the first soldier accused.

"Do you think you're that invincible? The only reason why we're in this mess is because the older generation is too scared to get their hands dirty so they force the younger generation into their war. Believe us, we don't want to be here," Yongguk told him.

Everybody got themselves comfortable in the plane and waited. The other soldiers were silent. Yongguk was a man of few words, yet what he said rang true. Many of the volunteered didn't seem to believe him, but Himchan knew the truth. And everything Yongguk was saying was true.

\-----

Daehyun stared at the letter in front of him. Himchan's writing was so neat and clean. There were several pictures placed in the letter from the States. Himchan and a new friend of his is stationed in California. Many of the pictures was taken close to the ocean, and a few houses and the Hollywood sign.

" _It's so gorgeous here. After the war, I plan to take you there with me. You would love it here. It reminds me of Busan. I'll write to you soon, my love. I love you._

_Himchan._ "

Daehyun sighed and stared at the page long letter. It described his time in boot camp, about his station, a little bit about his friend, Yongguk. So much happened in the first week. He took out a piece of lined paper and began to write his own letter.

" _To my dearest Himchan..._ "

\-----

Himchan was hit with the smell of shit and he almost threw up a little. Everywhere were bodies. Some American, others from other countries that Himchan couldn't place. It looked like a massacre.

"I thought we were winning," a soldier stated.

"Doesn't mean that there aren't a few casualties," their new leader answered. His name was Lieutenant Jones. He was tall, with dark brown hair and dark green eyes and light skin. He was born in Michigan, he said.

"Where are the others?" Yongguk asked.

"They're stationed in people's homes right now. It's a pattern. We got to the neighborhood for the night, sleep there, and keep going," Lieutenant Jones answered.

"We're invading their homes, though," a soldier from Chile states.

"None of us have a choice, and neither do they. Welcome to war, boys, where the older generation is forcing the younger generation to do the fighting for them. On top of that, civilians are forced to share their homes," Lieutenant Jones said.

Himchan didn't realize that there were other people – not just loved ones – being affected by the war.

"So where are we staying?" Himchan asked.

"For today, we're going to West Hollywood. After that, we keep traveling east until we get to our destination," Lieutenant Jones answered.

"Which is where?" another soldier asked.

"Santa Anita. It's where we'll be staying at for the next several weeks until we get into battle. Believe me, being around here is better than being out there," Lieutenant Jones told them.

Himchan could tell that he lost people before. Maybe friends, maybe his old troops, or maybe loved ones. There were stories on the news about bombings in the US, how the US was partially destroyed.

So much for a super power.

\-----

After traveling for a couple of hours, Himchan and Yongguk stayed in an apartment with a gay couple. They spoke Korean, so it was a bit easier to communicate with them.

"I'm Youngjae, this is Junhong. We made your rooms already," Youngjae introduced.

Yongguk and Himchan's room was small, but it worked out. Himchan set his bag down on one of the beds and looked over at Yongguk. He was staring at one of the letters the lieutenant gave out. He looked a little bit troubled.

"Hey, you okay?" Himchan asked him.

Yongguk snapped his head up and gave him a forced smile.

"I'm fine," he answered.

Himchan only stared at him, giving him a disapproving look. Himchan knew that Yongguk didn't believe him.

"Fine," Yongguk finally said, staring at the letter again. "The adoption went through. Jongup and I are having a girl," Yongguk confessed.

"Yongguk, that's great! But… you don't sound that excited," Himchan said.

"I'm excited. I get to be a dad, but this wasn't what we planned. We were supposed to get married two weeks ago. The adoption agency that we're using said that it won't go through for two years. We didn't think it would happen so soon," Yongguk explained.

"Plans don't always fall into place. Soon, after we finish our service, we can be able to go home, and you'll see your fiancé and your new, adopted baby girl," Himchan told him.

Yongguk gave him a soft smile. "Thank you."

The two got themselves comfortable in their new beds and fell asleep rather quickly.

\-----

A year in the US, Himchan never thought that war would happen so soon. When he and his troops were driving towards their next station, a bomb was dropped on them. About ten were injured, but seven died on impact. Himchan had to help a couple of the soldiers dragging the injured towards the truck to get them to safety. He took his rifle and began to shoot whoever was around him. His fear was beginning to spike.

"Himchan!" a familiar voice called out.

Himchan turned his head and saw Yongguk falling on the ground. Himchan ran towards Yongguk and tried to plug up the wound that he had,

"Look, you're not dying on me. You have someone at home right now. You have a baby girl and a fiancé who's waiting. Come on," Himchan urged, lifting Yongguk up from the ground.

"Leave me to die," Yongguk begged, moaning in pain.

"Nope, not happening," Himchan answered, dragging him towards the truck.

After a few steps of walking towards the truck, he felt pain in his right leg. He gritted his teeth and continued walking towards the truck and set Yongguk down in front of the trunk. Two males came out and dragged Yongguk into the truck.

"Sir, your leg is bleeding," one of the males pointed out.

Himchan looked down and saw his upper leg bleeding rather heavily.

"So that's why my leg feels numb," Himchan muttered, leaning on the back of the truck.

"Hey, pull him into the truck. We need to take him in, too," the male ordered.

Two other males stepped out of the truck and pulled Himchan into the truck as well. Himchan laid next to Yongguk and stared at the man who was making sure his leg wasn't bleeding out.

"You're lucky. A couple of more inches and you would've been paralyzed from the waist down," the medic told him.

"Well, thankfully I got shot in the leg then. I won't need it anyway," Himchan joked.

Himchan felt the truck moving and took a deep breath. He hopes that he'll be sent home after this.

"Your friend over there got shot in the shoulder. Grazed his main artery," the other medic said.

Himchan wonders when he'll be able to go home.

\-----

The hospital room was completely white, with different injured people laying down on the bed. Himchan stared at the leg placed in a sling. At least his leg didn't break.

"Himchan?" a familiar voice called out.

Himchan looked up and saw Yongguk being rolled into the vacant spot next to his.

"Hey there. Looks like we're both going to be home soon," Himchan said.

"Ugh. It hurts," Yongguk complained.

"Hey, I saved your ass. You wanted to die on that field," Himchan told him.

He heard Yongguk grunting. He turned his head and saw Yongguk staring at the ceiling.

"What I said, I thought I was dying. I felt like I was dying. They told me I was lucky enough to be alive," Yongguk confessed.

"I needed to make sure you stayed alive. You kept me alive, I keep you alive," Himchan stated.

After that, it was silent. After a few days being in the ward, a soldier came into the room and placed a letter on his desk. Himchan picked it up, thinking it was another letter from Daehyun. He picked it up and saw it was a letter from one of his captains.

He's being sent home.

"Himchan, did you get the letter, too?" he heard Yongguk ask.

Himchan said nothing. He hoped his silence meant something.

\-----

Daehyun stood waiting, peaking over heads of other people waiting for their loved ones from the war. He saw the plane coming in, and he could feel everybody getting a little nervous. Daehyun was feeling nervous as well. From the way Himchan wrote his last letter, it didn't sound that good. He got shot in the upper part of his leg, so Daehyun is sort of expecting worse.

After a couple of minutes have passed, the soldiers started pouring out. Many people shot up and started hugging their loved ones tightly. Daehyun peaked around to find Himchan's face through the crowd. As the crowd began to thin out, he continued to search for Himchan. He saw the same mop of dark brown hair, walking with a wooden cane.

"Himchan," Daehyun whispered, walking slowly up to him.

Himchan smiled widely and opened his arms towards him. Daehyun clutched onto him tightly, refusing to let go.

"Yongguk!" a voice shrieked out.

Daehyun saw Himchan looking over towards the voice. Daehyun followed his line of sight and saw a man in a sling being tackled by a man much shorter than him. Daehyun didn't say anything and looked back at Himchan.

"You're okay. You're fine and you're alive," Daehyun told him.

Himchan smiled and kissed him softly.

"I'm home and I'm not leaving this time. Not now, not ever," Himchan told him.

Daehyun smiled and held Himchan's hand. The two left the airport and began their way home.


	9. I'm Just Fighting to Get By

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Week 9: A creepy story.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> To be honest, it turned less creepy and more a bit sad. Ah well.

The new house Junhong was looking at was exactly what he wanted. It was small, but it was so cozy looking. Two bedrooms, two bathrooms, a kitchen, a living room, and a rather large backyard. He could start on a garden if he could. So many possibilities.

"Are you sure you want this house? Not a lot of people really place any offers on it," the real estate agent said.

"How come? It's perfect! Everything that I could want!" Junhong said excitedly.

"Well, many homeowners from before say that the reason being was slamming doors, glass breaking, hearing weird noises at night, the occasional shivers, and one homeowner swore that they saw a shadowy figure by the window. Pretty much saying that the house is haunted," the agent listed off, going through her paperwork.

"Ghost don't scare me. I'll take it," Junhong stated.

"Sir, there are other houses to look at-"

"No, I want this one. This one feels like home," Junhong repeated, staring hard at his agent.

The real estate agent sighed and shook her head.

"Alright. Let me contact the bank to see if you can place an offer, which is a very short list, by the way. Once the offer goes through, the estimate time you'll be moving in is about a month," the agent explained.

"Excellent! It's a pleasure doing business with you," Junhong said, shaking her hand.

The agent only smiled politely. She soon left Junhong to continue staring at the house and drove away. Junhong looked at the house with awe and admiration. He couldn't believe he would own this house in just a couple of weeks. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw a shadow creeping over him. When he looked at the direction, it disappeared. He shook his head and began to drive himself home.

\-----

Junhong moved in the last of the box inside the house and set it down in front of the kitchen. He closed the door behind him and took a deep breath. Moving was tiring as hell. He walked towards the living room and removed the sheets on top of the furniture. He should've asked his agent the story behind the house. It would've been nice to know a little bit of history.

He set the dusty white cloths in a pile on the floor. After the last cloth was removed, he began his dusting. It smelled dirty and he needed the house to smell a little cleaner. He grabbed the pledge and a rag and began his task.

Before he got started, he heard someone tapping on the glass. He looked at the glass door that looked over the large backyard, but saw no one there. He furrowed his eyebrows and looked around. The tapping continued. It wasn't the glass door, and the windows were all open to let the musky air out. He noticed that the windows needed to be cleaned, too, so he'll get to work on the windows once he's done with the furniture.

After a couple of hours cleaning the furniture and the glass, he settled himself on top of the couch and stared at the floors. They needed to be clean, too, but he'll deal with that tomorrow. He saw the television set he hooked up and turned it on. The picture and sound was great, plus his favorite show is starting soon and he's been meaning to catch up. He hugged the pillow and watched.

After a couple of minutes into the show, the television began to flicker a bit. Junhong grabbed the remote and kept pressing buttons to make sure that the television set was working fine. After pressing so many buttons, the television turned from the once gorgeous picture, to static and grainy. Junhong groaned.

"I just bought this last week," Junhong complained. He was going to have to call the company to complain about this.

Seeing as how the television is refusing to work for him, he turned off the television and began to start unpacking the last of his stuff. It was getting dark, and he had no food in his fridge yet, so when he's done he'll order some take out or something.

After the last of his books her shelved and placed, he took out his phone and began to call a nearby delivery service.

"Thank you for calling Pizza Delight. May I take your order?" a raspy voice asked.

"Hi! Just one large meat lovers supreme, please," Junhong ordered, staring at the menu.

"Alright, and your name and address, please," the voice requested.

Junhong gave out his name and address. When he gave out the address, the voice seemed hesitant now. Like they were scared.

"Um, right. Well, we'll just be ready in a couple of minutes. Thank you for calling Pizza Delight," the voice responded.

Before Junhong could thank the person, they already hung up the phone. He furrowed his eyebrows and turned his phone off. He went to go sit back down on the couch and took out his laptop. If his television isn't working, then he could watch some livestreams on his laptop.

\-----

Junhong woke up to someone ringing his doorbell. He groaned and sat up, aching when he stood all the way up. He guessed that his cleaning spree caught up. He looked at his watch and saw that it was well past midnight. He got up and walked over to the door and saw the pizza man standing before him.

"It's been three hours. What took you guys so long?" Junhong asked, taking out his wallet.

"It was a bit hard to find out where you live. Plus, stories and all that. Anyway, here's your pizza," the man explained.

Junhong feels like there's more to that than the man wants to admit, but he said nothing.

"The pizza's free, so don't worry about paying," the man stated.

"At least let me give you a tip-"

"I mean it, it's not necessary."

After that, the man abruptly left and went back to his car. Junhong furrowed his eyebrows. That was a bit weird. He stared at the pizza and went back inside the house. At least it was still warm.

He went back to the couch and began to eat his pizza by himself. It was delicious, and it sucked that he had to wait a while to get his dinner, but it was worth it.

After a couple of minutes of eating the entire pizza, he decided to go to sleep in his actual bed. He's still tired and he needs to wake up in order to finish moving in his stuff. Plus he has work later and he needs his full rest.

\-----

Work was slow and Junhong finally made it home. He walked to the kitchen and began to work on placing his cooking utensils where he wants them. Suddenly, he felt a chill washing over his body. He shivered and looked behind him. The windows and doors were closed, so there couldn't be a draft. It was also rather warm, so the wind can't be blowing this hard. He shook the thought from his head and began to finish working around in the kitchen.

This was only the beginning, Junhong thought.

He worked his way up to the bathroom and began to place his cleaning supplies under the sink. He took out his shampoo and soap and placed them in the bathtub, when he heard a door slam. Junhong jumped and looked up from his spot on the floor. He got up and began to walk towards one of the two bedrooms. The door was closed tight, and Junhong couldn't really open it. He grabbed one of the keys the real estate agent gave him and unlocked the door. He opened the door and saw the room a bit shabby. He needed time to work on the room later. He walked out and continued on.

"Leave!" he heard a voice shout.

Junhong whipped his head around and saw no one around him. He growled and clenched his hands.

"Whoever is here, cut it out! It's not funny and it certainly is rather tacky!" Junhong shouted.

He stayed silent and still, hoping to hear a response. After a few minutes, he didn't hear anything, so he thinks that it's his mind playing tricks on him. He shook his head and began to walk towards his own bedroom and work in there. Maybe his real estate agent is right; maybe the house really _is_ haunted. It wasn't going to stop him, though. Let the ghost throw him out! Junhong is staying and he'll make sure that the supposed ghost knows it, too.

\-----

After a week of living in the new house, Junhong ignored the voices and slams and whatever else is happening. However, today was a bit different than Junhong would've expected it to be.

The ghost that was haunting the house finally showed itself.

It surprised Junhong more than he thought it would. The television was working properly, for once, and he decided to watch his favorite show. What Junhong didn't expect was a rather young male popping into his living room. He looked like he hasn't slept in years and looks like he's been… crying.

"Why won't you leave?" the male demanded.

Junhong sat up and stared at the male in front of him. The ghost has brown hair that almost resembled a bowl cut, pale skin, dark brown eyes, and his clothes looked completely outdated, with a long white shirt with a 'Y' on it, loose jeans, and sneakers.

"Who… who are you?" Junhong asked him.

Before Junhong knew it, the male disappeared and the television was turned off. Junhong groaned and got up. The one time he spoke to the ghost and he disappeared on him. It was still surreal that he finally met the ghost.

Now he just needs the ghost to trust him.

\-----

Junhong has been waiting for the ghost to appear for a month, but all that appeared as more slamming doors, chilly rooms, and the occasional bang on the window.

"Come on! I'm trying to start up a friendship here!" Junhong called out, setting a box of pizza down on the floor. Out in front of him was a Ouija board, which he knows he isn't supposed to play with.

Well, if the ghost won't appear to him, then he'll make it.

Soon, the ghost boy sat in front of him, staring at the board in question.

"Finally you show up," Junhong complained, eating his fifth slice.

"I hate you," the boy mumbled, playing around with the sleeves of his sweater.

"Well, if you tell me how you died, then I can understand why you want me to leave," Junhong told him.

The room shifted around him. Junhong stared at the scene and saw a woman in the kitchen, baking something. The scene kept glitching, like it didn't want to stay still. The scene jumped to the boy walking into the kitchen to help his mother, then another scene where the dad, angrily, comes home.

"This is your home," Junhong concluded.

The boy said nothing. The scene kept going. The dad yells at both his wife and his son and threatened to murder the wife. It was like Junhong was watching a horror movie. The next moment, he finds the boy lying in a pool of blood, with his cut slit open. The wife was sobbing on the floor while the dad didn't seem to bother. The scene glitched out and all was left was Junhong and the boy.

"You died by your father's hands?" Junhong asked him.

The boy said nothing.

"You want me to leave because this is your childhood home, and you can't leave can you?" Junhong asked.

"It's just not fair! I've been living here for years! They shouldn't be selling my home!" the boy shouted, clutching onto the hem of his shirt tightly.

Junhong hesitantly reached over and placed his hand on his shoulder.

"Hey, this is still your home. If I didn't buy it, the house would've been torn down. Instead of hating me, you should talk to me. I'm pretty sure this is the closest human interaction you've had," Junhong commented.

The boy sniffed and wiped his invisible tears from his face.

"I'm Junhong," he introduced.

The boy stared at him curiously.

"I'm Youngjae," he replied.

"Well, Youngjae. Looks like you and I will be great friends," Junhong concluded.


	10. And If We Only Die Once (I Wanna Die With You)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Week 10: A story featuring a countdown.

The feeling of someone poking him has Himchan stir awake. He cracks his eyes open and sees a rather tan man staring at him, with big brown eyes and plush lips. The man had a sense of familiarity, but he didn't know why.

"Oh good, I was wondering if you were going to wake up," the man said, smiling widely at him.

Himchan sits up and sees that he's not at home anymore. Instead, all around him were people in masks celebrating… something. Himchan doesn't really know, nor does he wish to figure it out.

"Come on! The carnival is starting soon!" the man urged, grabbing his hand and pulling him up.

Himchan stands up and follows the man to wherever he wants to go. The atmosphere is rather strange. It's so lively and so colorful. Himchan almost forgets about how he got here in the first place.

"It's my favorite time of the year! The carnival is hosted during the first day of spring! And here comes the floats," the man said, pulling Himchan over to the sidewalk.

Himchan looked at what the man was talking about and saw a gorgeously decorated float that he's ever seen, with scantily clad males and females dancing on the float. They, too, were all wearing masks.

"Who are you?" Himchan asked him.

The man looked at him and smiled widely. The smile resembled a kitten almost.

"I'm Daehyun. We've met before," Daehyun answered. "And I know who you are, Himchan."

Himchan was stunned. The man knew him, yet he didn't know the stranger.

"Relax and celebrate! It's the beginning of a new life, you know. And you're here just in time," Daehyun told him.

After the float passed them by, another beautifully decorated float comes by. Many people are cheering or singing some strange song. Himchan looked at the clock - which looked digital - and saw it counting _backwards_. Why was the clock counting backwards? The clock read 25:01, which a few seconds left.

"Welcome to la fiesta!" a masked figure greeted, throwing beads to them and walking away.

Daehyun grabbed a couple of beads and gave two to Himchan. He stared at the foreign objects. He looked over at Daehyun to see what he was supposed to do with them. Daehyun had his beads around his neck, so Himchan decided to do the same. They were very colorful and extremely shiny.

As the carnival continued on, different floats with different music and dancers, Himchan was starting to grow hungry. He smelt something spicy and lemony. He turned to where the food was, with Daehyun following right behind him.

"It smells so good," Himchan moaned, wanting a bite out of whatever it was making.

He turned to Daehyun, who looked a little worried. Himchan looked at the clock again. 16:24. When did the time move so fast?

"Here, let me buy. My treat," Daehyun said.

"But I feel so bad! You took me to a great carnival and I have to repay you somehow," Himchan whined.

"Believe me, you will eventually," Daehyun told him.

Himchan waited and Daehyun came back with smoked hotdogs bigger than the average hotdog with bacon wrapped around the wiener. There was mustard, ketchup, and other spicy goodies placed in the hotdog.

"My god, that looks so good!" Himchan said, accepting his own.

Before Himchan could take a bite, Daehyun stopped him.

"Let's go see the carnival. You'll eat it during the next parade, I'm sure," Daehyun said.

Himchan raised an eyebrow, but didn't say anything. He followed Daehyun towards the crowd where everybody was cheering loudly. Some of the masked figures joined in on the fun and was dancing around with the music. Himchan looked down at the hotdog and saw a rather large chuck already taken off. When did he take a bite out of it?

"Hey, let's dance! I'm sure you'll have fun dancing," Daehyun told him.

Dancing. Dancing Himchan knows. He followed Daehyun towards the center and began to dance to the rhythm of the song. It was so upbeat and catchy. He looked at the clock again. 9:02.

"Why is the clock counting backwards?" Himchan asked Daehyun.

Either Daehyun didn't hear him or ignored him because the next thing he knew, Daehyun pulled Himchan closer to him and Himchan's knees were in between Daehyun's. The rhythm started going faster. It was harder for him to keep up. The floats disappeared, which Himchan thought was weird because he thought he saw a bright blue float coming down the street. Himchan shook the thought from his head. He was here, at a carnival, dancing with a cute guy he just met. A cute guy that smiles like the sun.

"I think that's enough dancing," Daehyun told him, his voice hoarse and sweat gathering near his eyebrows.

"Why? I'm having so much fun!" Himchan stated.

"Just, trust me," Daehyun assured him.

Himchan didn't know why, but he let Daehyun guide him out of the circle of dancers and towards the sidewalk. Himchan looked at the clock again. 4:01.

"Why is the clock counting backwards?" Himchan asked him.

Daehyun was silent. Himchan knows that Daehyun heard him.

"It's counting down to your death," Daehyun answered.

Himchan furrowed his eyebrows. He mustn't have heard him. His death? He's alive! He's not dying.

"But... but you're alive-"

"I'm in purgatory."

Himchan froze. The music and the cheers were silent. He looked around and saw that everybody disappeared. There was nobody in sight. It was only him, Daehyun, and an empty street.

"Purgatory? But that's impossible!" Himchan stated.

"So did I, until I landed here. Everything here is not what it seems. The hotdog I gave you was to keep yo in purgatory. Weren't you told that you weren't supposed to eat anything in purgatory?" Daehyun questioned.

Himchan remembered his grandmother, who is a rather religious person that believed in all of this stuff, told him to never accept anything in purgatory, or else he would forever be lost in limbo.

"But... why am I here? Why was there a celebration?" Himchan asked.

"It's what you wanted. Before you died, you said that you always wanted to attend a carnival, but you never found the time," Daehyun told him.

Himchan felt a somewhat familiarity. He never told anybody of what he wanted to do before he died.

"I know you from somewhere. I thought you seemed familiar," Himchan said, staring at Daehyun.

Daehyun gave him a soft smile.

"We've met before," Daehyun explained.

Himchan felt so confused. He did a sense of familiarity with Daehyun, but he doesn't understand.

"It's okay if you don't remember. Purgatory rarely lets anyone remember unless the clock has already counted down. We met years ago. We were both at the same hospital. I was your roommate," Daehyun explained.

Himchan remembered the smell of the hospital. So clean and so agonizing. He remembered a boy next to him, always smiling even though he was hurting every day. He lost his hair years ago, but the boy still kept smiling. He remembered Himchan falling in love with that smile.

"The hospital had a makeshift prom one time. I was getting better, so I asked you to be my date. You said yes. We started dating after that. But… six months into the relationship, I was getting worse. They had to move me. I was close to death, so my last night was our beds pushed together holding hands," Daehyun recalled.

"How… how did you end up here?" Himchan asked.

"We both wanted to be at a carnival. I was placed at the carnival, but I took a bite out of a sweet and stayed in purgatory. The carnival scene changes, but I can never leave. The scene sometimes shifts to something dreary. It's not a luxury, it's a punishment," Daehyun told him.

Himchan stared at the rather dirty sidewalk. He looked up at the sky and saw a rather dreary sky instead of the clear blue one he had seen earlier.

"Then what happens to me?" Himchan asked.

"It's a test. Sometimes you're alone, sometimes you're not. It depends if two people have the same wish. Because I stopped you from eating that hotdog, you're free to move to heaven," Daehyun explained.

Himchan looked at the clock again. 2:19.

"What if I want to stay with you?" Himchan asked.

"Himchan, that's not-"

"I don't care! I lost you once, I'm not losing you again!" Himchan snapped.

Himchan remembered the pain he felt when he heard Daehyun's heart monitor flat line. He remembered the nurses coming into the room and shoving Himchan away. They pulled Daehyun's gurney away from the room and it was the last time Himchan saw Daehyun's body ever again. He remembered sobbing his heart out at the loss of not only his dearest friend, but the one person he loved.

"I'm staying here. And I'm going to make sure of it," Himchan told him.

The minute mark was placed, and the seconds began to tick by. Himchan saw a cotton candy cart and quickly walked towards it before Daehyun could say anything.

"Himchan stop!" Daehyun called it.

He ignored him. He grabbed the cotton candy and took a piece. He looked at the clock again. Thirty seconds. He placed the sweet candy inside his mouth when he felt Daehyun grabbing his arm. It was too late. The cotton candy was already melting in his mouth.

The clock dinged and Himchan felt heavy. He set the candy down and looked at Daehyun.

"You're such a fool. You could've went to heaven," Daehyun told him.

"I'd rather spend eternity in a carnival than spend a lifetime alone in heaven," Himchan said.

Himchan saw Daehyun tearing up a little. He hugged the older man tightly and Himchan did the same. The sound of the carnival was beginning to start up again, and Himchan can't wait to spend eternity again with Daehyun.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was tearing up a little writing the ending of this.


	11. We'll Be Living On the Dark Side

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Week 11: A story set at a full moon.

The morning sun was shining brightly through the rather thin curtains. Jongup curled up against the rather warm body and snuggled against his chest. He heard a grunt and knew that Yongguk was getting up. He giggled and got up. Yongguk looked disoriented, like always. Yongguk was a little groggier today, unfortunately, because of the full moon. Jongup sighed and began to descend to the kitchen. However, before he could get up from the bed, he felt someone's hand clasp over his wrist

"Where are you going?" he heard Yongguk ask.

"I'm going to make us breakfast. Is that alright?" Jongup questioned.

He heard Yongguk hum a little, until finally he released his wrist.

"Stay in bed with me!" Yongguk whined.

It was rare for Yongguk to be like this unless the full moon was upon them. Yongguk is what Jongup would like to call a rather lazy werewolf, and he had every reason to say so.

"As much as I would love to, you need your strength for tonight. It's going to be a long night and we need you stronger than ever. My big strong alpha werewolf," Jongup teased, pinching his cheeks.

He laughed when he heard Yongguk growling at him, although it was playful. Jongup got up from the bed and began to go down the stairs towards the kitchen. He grabbed some of the breakfast ingredients and set them on top of the counter. He grabbed a couple of pans and some bread and began to get started on some French toast. However, before he could get started, he felt a pair of warm arms wrapped around his waist.

"Are you still sleepy?" Jongup asked him.

Jongup heard a soft grunt before Yongguk nuzzled his face into Jongup's neck. He continued to make French toast and placed them in the pan to let the bread soak. After a few minutes of preparing breakfast, Jongup set the food down on the table and moved the sleepy, yet extremely warm Yongguk and set him down in his chair.

"Eat up," Jongup ordered, taking a bit of French toast for himself.

Yongguk said nothing as he began to devour pretty much the entire plate. Jongup was glad that he grabbed two or three French toast for himself before Yongguk decided that all of breakfast was his. Jongup took a sip of his coffee and continued to eat.

After breakfast was served and eaten, the dishes needed to be washed. Yongguk mostly did that, since he always said that the one who eats the most should wash. (Usually during his werewolf phases. Any other day, it would be Jongup who washes.)

The dishes were washed and cleaned and the two decided to rest on the couch and watch some really crappy reality shows.

\-----

As the night was getting closer. Jongup heard Yongguk's watch beeping. Jongup felt a little sorry for him. He knows that Yongguk hates being chained up to the radiator, but it's the only way for Yongguk to control himself, especially around Jongup.

"Come on, we need to get you ready," Jongup told him, lightly slapping the older's thigh.

"Yeah, I know. I hate transforming," Yongguk said.

Jongup got up from the couch and ushered Yongguk towards their room. It was the only place in the house where the werewolf feels comfortable in, and Jongup isn't exactly sure why, either, but he knows it has something to do with the scent. Yongguk doesn't really know why, either.

"Alright, you know the drill. Sit in front of the radiator," Jongup ordered.

Yongguk only growled, but did as he's told. He sat down and saw Jongup chaining him up, like a wild animal. After the chains have been locked, Jongup set up a small bed and Yongguk's favorite Tigger plush.

"Do you want me to get you a water bowl?" Jongup joked.

Yongguk glared at him. He remembered the first time he transformed, where Jongup had no clue what to do. They were merely friends back then, and the only option for them was to lock Yongguk down in the basement. The werewolf left scratched along the door and it scared the shit out of Jongup. After the second time, Jongup provided chains and a water bowl for him.

"I'm not a dog, you know!" Yongguk argued, glaring at the water bowl with his name on it.

"Well, you two are similar in species, so who knows," Jongup joked.

Now Jongup always brings up the water bowl to annoy Yongguk and Jongup knows it's working.

Jongup sat on the opposite side of the room and waited. He conversed with Yongguk, mostly, to make time speed up a little. Yongguk was grateful to have someone like Yongguk. The last few relationships he had when he told someone about his… condition, they weren't exactly pleased in the least. With Jongup, he doesn't have to hide his transformation, or even shy away from it.

"Alright, the chains are secure and ready. Do you need anything?" Jongup asked him.

"No, I'm f-"

Jongup say Yongguk gritting his teeth and his eyes changing color. He gently kissed his forehead and got up from the floor.

"I'll be downstairs if you need me," Jongup told him.

He went downstairs and gave one last look at Yongguk before he went downstairs. He sat back on the couch and took out a book he was reading. Might as well finish it.

\-----

Jongup was startled awake when he heard glass shattering. He looked at the clock and saw that it was getting close to one in the morning. He got up from the couch, set the book down on top of the coffee table, and went upstairs to see what's going on. When he entered inside, he saw Yongguk, with a couple pieces of glass around him.

"Another vase?" Jongup questioned.

Yongguk gave him a pair of puppy dog eyes that he knows Jongup can't resist.

And Jongup really can't.

"I can't let you go free yet. It's almost sunrise anyway. You can last that long, right?" Jongup asked him.

Yongguk gave him the sad puppy dog eyes and looked down on the floor. It hurt Jongup's heart just a little.

"Alright, fine," Jongup finally said.

He took out a key and began to unlock the chains. The silver chains were now settled around Yongguk's werewolf body and stared at Jongup.

"Alright, you're free. Just don't jump out-"

Jongup's dying words were left unheard as Yongguk quickly jumped out of the window. Jongup groaned and stared at the broken window. He grabbed a trash bag and began to tape it over the broken window. It'll be on his list of things he needed to get fixed. Now he needs to find Yongguk and figure out where he went.

He walked towards his closet and got changed into a pair of pants that were on the floor, a sweater, and grabbed a flashlight in order to find him. He walked down the stairs and began to walk out of the house. However, before he even took a step outside, he saw a dead possum on his skunk.

"Okay, ew!" Jongup screeched, toeing the dead possum towards the bushes. Great. Now Yongguk was giving him his kills as presents.

He took a deep breath and closed the door behind him. He walked out of his driveway and began to make his way towards the woods, where he knows Yongguk is going to be.

"Jongup?" a familiar voice called out.

He flinched and turned around. He spots his neighbor, Himchan, bringing out the trash for tomorrow and sets it by the curb.

"Um… hey, Himchan," Jongup greeted.

"Why are you out so late at night?" Himchan asked him, judging his outfit.

Jongup looked down and saw that he was wearing a pair of ratty jeans, a shirt with some holes, a very worn out sweater, and socks with sandals. It wasn't really fashionable, but he wasn't going for fashion.

"Oh, well my dog got out again and Yongguk and I are looking for him," Jongup explained.

It wasn't really a huge lie.

"Your dog got out _again_? Well, you better hurry and find him. Some of the families have been setting up traps in the neighboring woods," Himchan explained.

"What? Why?" Jongup asked.

And then there was a sound of a howl. Jongup knows that it's Yongguk.

"That's why. Usually there's not supposed to be wolves around this part of Korea, but everybody is afraid that the wolves will attack them. So be careful," Himchan told him.

Jongup gave him a weak smile and began to set off into the woods. Now he should start worrying.

\-----

The forest was dense, Jongup realized. He didn't know it could be this dense. He shook the thought from his head and began to continue his journey to find Yongguk. He blamed himself, mostly, but that's because Yongguk gave him the sad puppy eyes that he couldn't ignore.

"Yongguk!" Jongup called.

He shivered lightly from the cold. He should've brought a thicker jacket, but he was too worried to care about the temperature and wanted to make sure that his werewolf boyfriend didn't injure himself.

"Yongguk, I know you're out there!" Jongup called out again.

He heard a long, yet low howl and Jongup knew he was close. He spotted Yongguk, in his full werewolf form, munching on something that Jongup doesn't even want to question.

"Yongguk, there you are! You can't keep jumping out of windows. This is the fourth window you broke!" Jongup argued.

The werewolf Yongguk perked his head up from the meal he was eating.

"Also, I don't need you to give me your kills. I can hunt for my own food just fine," Jongup stated.

Jongup took a step forward, but Yongguk was ready to pounce. Jongup froze. Before he knew it, He was pushed to the ground, waiting for Yongguk to tear into his skin. However, he heard a soft whine and a whimper. He looked up and saw that Yongguk was trapped in a bear trap. Jongup got up and crawled towards the trap. He began to pull on it with as much strength as he could until the trap finally opened. Yongguk whimpered and looked at his bloody foot.

"Come on, I have some gauze and medicine to help with that," Jongup said, getting up and offering a hand to Yongguk. The werewolf accepted and stood up, whimpering at the pain in his foot. Jongup sighed and began to half carry him towards home.

\-----

Jongup wrapped the last of the gauze around Yongguk's foot and sighed. The sun was finally coming up, and it seemed that Yongguk transformed back into his normal human self.

"What have we learned?" Jongup questioned.

"Don't leap out of windows. Even if you set me free," Yongguk grumbled, pouting at his injured foot.

"Exactly. For that, you should make me breakfast," Jongup told him.

"Excuse me! I risked my foot to save you from a trap," Yongguk argued.

"And I found a dead possum on our door step. Plus you ruined my window. Again," Jongup argued.

"Alright, we're even," Yongguk said.

Jongup laughed and kissed his werewolf boyfriend softly.

"My alpha. Let's just sleep for today. I didn't get that much sleep anyway," Jongup told him.

Yongguk hummed in agreement and nestled back into the covers. Jongup curled up against him and suddenly felt warm. He closed his eyes and drifted off to sleep.


	12. Let The Games Begin

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Week 12: A story about a contest or competition.

It was a normal day at school. The sun was out, the birds were singing, the flowers were blooming-

"Hey Junhong, did you do the math homework?" a familiar voice asked him.

His best friend is an absolute pain.

Junhong stared at him and raised an eyebrow. He grabbed his bag and took out his math homework and placed it in front of him.

"Make sure to word your answers differently. Last time we almost got in trouble because our answers were almost the same," Junhong told him.

"Yeah yeah. Not my fault that the teacher has an excellent memory," Youngjae argued.

Junhong only rolled his eyes and began to doodle in his notebook. It was the only thing to do before class started, anyway. He continued doodling, until he heard a bunch of girls squealing and giggling. Junhong looked up and saw the one and only Jung Daehyun walking through the courtyard and into the school building. Junhong only admitted this to Youngjae, but he's had a crush on him since he arrived from Busan. Turns out, Youngjae has a crush on him, too, but the two mostly gush about his singing and outfits. Nothing major.

"I'm gonna make him mine," Youngjae declared.

Junhong snapped his head towards his best friend and furrowed his eyebrows.

"Excuse me?" Junhong asked him.

"You heard me. This is the year that I make Jung Daehyun my boyfriend," Youngjae stated.

"By what, annoying him to death?" Junhong questioned as he continued to doodle in his notebook.

"Psh, no! My handsome good looks will get any guy to fawn over me," Youngjae stated.

"Then you want to make it into a bet?" Junhong challenged.

Youngjae raised an eyebrow. Junhong snickered to himself. He always knew that Youngjae loved challenges the best.

"What _kind_ of bet?" Youngjae asked.

"Simple. If one of us is able to woo Jung Daehyun first and get him to be our boyfriend by the end of the school year, then they're declared the winner," Junhong explained.

"There has to be a loser. What does the loser get?" Youngjae asked.

Junhong didn't really think this far. He heard the bell ring and got up. He stuffed his homework and notebook back inside his bag.

"How 'bout this; The loser has to do the winner's homework for a month," Youngjae offered.

"And if we both lose?" Junhong asked him.

"Sweetheart, I'm not planning on losing. Do we have a deal?" Youngjae asked, offering his hand to the other.

Junhong sighed and accepted. This was going to be a rather long year.

\-----

The next day before classes were starting, Junhong made his way towards his homeroom and saw Youngjae already sitting at his desk, with a rather delicious cheesecake.

"Should I ask?" Junhong asked, staring at the cheesecake in question.

"This is what's going to get Daehyun to like me," Youngjae explained.

Junhong continued staring at it in question. It was delicious, to be honest. It had a strawberry swirl on the top. However, Junhong knows Youngjae. And he knows for a fact that Youngjae didn't bake this.

"You bought this at a bakery, didn't you?" Junhong asked him.

"Shut up," Youngjae hissed, snapping his attention to the younger.

Junhong smirked and sat back around.

"I see you didn't prepare anything," Youngjae pointed out.

"Oh no, I did. Daehyun is a romantic at heart, so I decided to write a poem for him and I slipped it in his locker before I came to class. So we'll see who wins," Junhong explained.

He could feel Youngjae's glare at the back of his head. A few minutes later, Daehyun entered the classroom and most of the girls were squealing and giggling. Some had the courage to go up to him and talk to him. It was another thing about Daehyun that Junhong noticed; he didn't date anyone. Everyone knows that Daehyun is bisexual, so he didn't mind what gender the person was. However, Daehyun is very picky when it came to dates, Junhong realized.

"My time to shine," Youngjae announced to Junhong, picking up the cheesecake from his desk.

It took Youngjae three steps before one of Daehyun's fangirls accidentally bumped into Youngjae and splattered the cheesecake all over his crisp white shirt. Junhong kept his mouth closed, but a couple of giggles escaped from his mouth. The girl was apologizing profusely, and Daehyun only looked amused.

"Mr. Yoo, go clean yourself up. I'm sure the nurse has a spare shirt for you," their teacher told him.

Youngjae did as he was told and left. Junhong took a deep breath and waited for class to start. He peaked over at Daehyun and opened up the letter that Junhong wrote. He could hear his heart beating and felt his palms sweating. Daehyun, however, looked a bit confused. He turned the paper over and Junhong caught a glimpse at what the paper was.

It turns out, it wasn't a poem at all.

It was Junhong's math homework.

\-----

"Well, day one didn't go so well," Youngjae concluded.

It was the next day, and the two were getting ready for phase two. When Junhong told Youngjae what happened with the poem, Youngjae only laughed. It turns out, Junhong had the poem written, but he accidentally thought it was his math homework. He was running late and grabbed the first thing that came into view. It didn't help that it had Junhong's name on it, so Daehyun gave it back to him. Junhong never did gave Daehyun the poem.

"What, and you think day two will?" Junhong asked.

"Of course! Well, my plan will. I don't know what you're planning," Youngjae confirmed.

"I'm planning on giving him compliments. He's in my chemistry class, so I can sneakily be his partner," Junhong told hm.

"You suck at chemistry, though. And I know for a fact that Mr. Song won't allow you to switch partners," Youngjae told him.

"My partner is absent today, and so is Daehyun's. Mr. Song will pair us up and it'll be great. What's your plan?" Junhong asked him.

"Compliments and flowers! The guy is a sucker for sweet stuff. I got a bunch of yellow roses to prove it all!" Youngjae declared.

Junhong was about to explain how that plan will go horribly wrong, but he didn't get the chance as the bell rang.

"Well, I'm off to chemistry. Good luck in Korean," Junhong told him.

Youngjae waved goodbye and the two went their separate ways. Junhong entered the room and sat down at his lab table. He spotted Daehyun a few tables away and saw that his partner was missing. It would be perfect.

"Alright class, settle down. Now, a couple of you lost some of your partners due to a bug that's been going around. So! I will be assigning you all temporary partners. Now, let's see…"

Junhong mostly ignored everyone. He did see who some of the people did pair up with, though. His class was a mixture of his grade and a grade above him. He saw girls with the older boys and giggling happily. Junhong saw his friend, Jongup, being paired with the older boy, whose name escapes him.

"Daehyun, you'll be with… Junhong?" Mr. Song announced.

Junhong was a bit confused. Was he or was he not paired with the cutest boy in school?

"Yeah, Daehyun with Junhong. Sorry, I couldn't read my writing," Mr. Song corrected.

Junhong saw Daehyun moving his stuff to sit next to him. It was his chance! He could make a move! But he also wanted to get the experiment right.

"Now for your experiment, please write the directions from the board down into your notes," Mr. Song ordered.

And Junhong realized that he may have fucked up.

The writing on the board was gibberish and it confused the hell out of him.

"Can you understand that?" Junhong asked him.

Daehyun looked up from his notes and Junhong realized that he wrote everything down from the board.

"Yeah. Don't worry, I used to do this a lot with Himchan. It's a small experiment. We're changing colors," Daehyun explained.

This was going to be a rather long period.

\-----

During lunch time, Junhong tucked his hair into his hood and tried not to make eye contact with anyone. He heard a lunch tray slam on top of the table and he looked up. Youngjae's expression turned from concern, to shock, to humor all within three seconds.

"Holy shit, what happened to your face?" Youngjae asked, trying not to laugh.

"My chemistry experiment didn't go as planned. I was trying to impress Daehyun, but it turns out that I accidentally made our experiment explode," Junhong explained.

Youngjae was a terrible friend, Junhong realized. Instead of being sympathetic, Youngjae was flat out laughing at him.

"Yeah yeah, I'd like to see you do better," Junhong challenged.

"Oh, but I am! I'm gonna take those roses and present them to Daehyun. Usually he has his admirers around him, but I'll make sure to stand out! I'll definitely win this competition," Youngjae declared.

Junhong was about to explain to him about the color choice Youngjae picked for the roses, but he decided he wanted to see how this played out. He saw Youngjae confidentially marching up to Daehyun, with bright yellow roses in hand.

"Ah, Daehyun! You're looking lovely today," Youngjae complimented.

Junhong noticed that Daehyun's hair was a bit pink, but he didn't seem bothered by it. He smiled softly at Youngjae.

"Oh, thank you! Those roses are gorgeous," Daehyun told him.

"Oh, these! Well, they're for you. A beautiful person deserves beautiful roses," Youngjae explained.

Daehyun accepted the roses greatly and played around with the petals. Apparently, Junhong noted, it wasn't the reaction that Youngjae wanted.

"Thank you! And I value our friendship, too," Daehyun said.

Youngjae looked shaken, but covered it up rather quickly before Daehyun could see his facial expression turn.

"You're welcome. I should be getting back to my lunch now. See you around," Youngjae told him.

When Youngjae came back, Junhong let out a laugh he's been holding in.

"Okay you little shit. What aren't you telling me?" Youngjae asked.

"If you wanted to woo him, you get red roses. Yellow roses means a sign of friendship. If you got yellow roses with red tips, it means you're falling in love with him. My god, you're the genius here!" Junhong pointed out.

Junhong saw Youngjae's ears turn red. He huffed and leaned his head against the table.

\-----

As the weeks wore on, the two came up with subtle ways to get Daehyun's attention _somehow_. Nothing seemed to work, however, as Daehyun was either completely oblivious or didn't seem to care.

"This is hopeless," Youngjae declared, leaning his body against the lockers.

"We can give up now," Junhong offered.

"No way! Not when I'm this close," Youngjae said.

"None of us are this close! All of our plans to make Daehyun at least notice us is completely pointless!" Junhong stated.

"You're trying to get me to notice you?" a familiar voice asked.

The two jumped and saw Daehyun staring at the two of them with mild confusion.

"Well…" Youngjae started off.

"To be honest, I thought you two were dating," Daehyun told them.

Junhong had heard rumors that he and Youngjae were in a relationship, judging by their rather close bond and the one time they kissed in the janitor's supply closet, but Junhong always denied the rumors. Although, now that he thinks about it…

"We're not dating. We were trying to get you to date one of us," Youngjae explained.

"Oh. Oh! Oh, I'm so sorry. I thought I made it clear," Daehyun said, his cheeks tinged pink with embarrassment.

"Apparently not, because we're still trying here," Junhong said.

"I'm already in a relationship. You know Kim Himchan, right?" Daehyun asked.

Everybody knows Kim Himchan. He's one of the most handsome boys in third year. The two were rather stunned, but not surprised.

"Yes, we do know Himchan. No, we didn't know this," Youngjae said.

Daehyun shyly smiled and turned around. The two saw Himchan walking down the halls, with Yongguk, a friend of Himchan, walking behind him. Youngjae and Junhong saw Jongup shyly waving at Yongguk, who smiled softly at him and continued walking.

"Daehyunnie! I saw a new sushi restaurant that just opened. We can go there after school if you don't have any activities," Himchan offered.

"I would love to!" Daehyun accepted, walking close to the older.

Junhong and Youngjae watched the three walking away.

"Wanna make out before class gets started?" Youngjae offered.

"Sure."

About three months later, the two started a new relationship.


	13. Claustrophobic

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Week 13: A story that takes place entirely inside a vehicle.

The road was long and tedious, Yongguk realized. The car was completely cramped and way too loud for his comfort. The only thing that even relaxed him at this point was Jongup, who curled up against him and rested his head against the younger's shoulder.

"When are we gonna get to the showcase?" Himchan asked their manager.

"Should be a couple of minutes. It shouldn't be that long," the manager answered.

Yongguk bit back a groan. He didn't want to show his discomfort to the rest of the members. He felt a pair of fingers gently resting on his stomach and playing around with his shirt.

"Jongup, what are you doing?" Yongguk asked quietly, making sure the others didn't hear.

"I felt you tense. I know you're not a fan of rather tight spaces, so I'm comforting you," Jongup explained, his eyes closed and his voice drifting.

Yongguk always had trouble with spaces. He didn't admit his fear to the other members because they'll coddle him and comfort him, which Yongguk didn't want to happen. The only one that knew was Jongup, and he discovered it by accident. Yongguk didn't mind Jongup being the only one knowing. It made his anxiety a little easier to handle.

However, being in a car filled with six other people, four who are loud and joking around and it difficult for him to remember to breath and relax himself.

"Oh, looks like there will be some traffic. Don't worry, we'll get there soon," their manager announced.

And that was when Yongguk started internally freaking out. The others saw no problem in this, but to Yongguk is meant that he'll have to spend another hour or so trapped in a concealed car with the doors locked and the windows shut.

Then, he felt someone taking his hand and playing with his fingers. He looked down and saw Jongup holding Yongguk's hand in his, gently tracing patterns and designs into his skin.

With Jongup holding his hand, it didn't really seem that scary anymore.

"Oh hey, I found my kazoo! Any requests?" Junhong announced.

Never mind, it just got more terrifying for Yongguk.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I kept deleting it a couple of times and wasn't really satisfied. This one, however, I'm completely satisfied. Sorry it's a bit short tho.


	14. Love Me Dead

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Week 14: A story from a villain's perspective.

When Himchan was seven, he discovered he had powers to form electricity. He harbored his powers, made sure that his parents or his peers saw his new ability. He heard horror stories of children being taken from homes, being forced into placed that were deemed horrible. His parents always made comments about how the kids with mutant powers should be killed, exterminated.

He was outed when he was about to turn eight.

It was an accident. He didn't know he could absorb electricity, too. He mostly practiced by himself in some abandoned house or building. Someone told Himchan's parents about his powers and his parents immediately phoned in the Help. They came the next day, grabbed Himchan, and escorted him into the vans.

Himchan still remembered the bruises they gave him when they held his pale arm tightly.

During the years at the camp that Himchan was forced to stay in, he trained harder than any of the mutants out there. He figured that if he excelled in his powers, he'll be able to go home, into the city life. He should've known, but he heard rumors of kids who excelled extremely well that they were able to leave the camps and go home. Instead, he gained the attention of the army sergeants, looking for mutants to convert into their army. To be used as a weapon, as Himchan found out. He didn't bother and he didn't think he would get picked or drafted.

When Himchan turned sixteen, he became a weapon.

Thirteen boys and girls all lined up in a rather neat row. Himchan noted that the kids that were picked were powerful, that they held powers even Himchan couldn't control. All he could do was zap people, and that could only stun them.

He learned the real meaning of power, however, when he was in the army.

\-----

"Alright everybody, we'll start with drills. Soojin, Jungkook, get into formation. You're our elemental powers. You two will start first," the drill sergeant ordered.

Himchan watched as Soojin and Junkook began their practice fight. Soojin can control water, while Jungkook can control fire. Himchan noticed that they were going easy, and Himchan looked away before he heard the sound of bullets. He looked up and saw that it was mostly a warning shot.

"Take it seriously of one of you gets a bullet in the head," the sergeant barked out.

Himchan saw it twice. Once when two girls were battling it out. One of the girls won, but she refused to kill the other girl. The winner died with a bullet in her brain. The second time was when Himchan was fighting one of the boys. It was a simple fight, really, but the other boy was lacking. The next thing Himchan knew, there was blood all over his clothes and face. The boy was dead on the ground.

"Start over."

The whistle was like nails on a chalk board. Himchan really can't stand the sound that he always flinched when he heard it. He continued watching with the remaining three children. Whoever won this one was part of their team. The golden four, as the sergeant explained.

Soojin overpowered Jungkook instantly and began to drown him. Himchan never liked Soojin. She said that she wouldn't hesitate to kill anyone so long as she remained on top. Himchan saw Jungkook fall to the floor, trying to gasp for air. It took only a minute before Jungkook was officially dead.

"Excellent skill, Soojin. It seems we have our winner," the drill sergeant announced.

Soojin seemed proud. Her long silver hair glowed softly in the afternoon light. The four of them were now a team, Two boys, two girls. One controlled water, another causes tornados and whirlwinds, another shifts into animals, and Himchan creates and uses electricity. Himchan is finding a way to use it in order to escape.

When he turns eighteen, he does.

\-----

One of the first missions that they had to do was infiltrate enemy lines and slaughter the enemy. No living soul was left alive. Himchan considered this as a massacre. To Soojin, it was a matter of testing her skills.

"Oh don't look like that, it creates fun. Besides, they need to pay for what they've done," Soojin stated.

Pay? For what? Himchan thought. It wasn't his parents fault that they called the authorities. They were scared, as they were programmed to. It wasn't the people's fault; they could barely handle other people being of different races and sexual identities. This wasn't anyone's fault.

Then whose fault is it?

"Himchan, get a move on. We need you to stun someone," one of the girls, Lilac, ordered.

Himchan said nothing and did as he was told. He needed to do this in order to stay alive. He took a deep breath and placed a small electrical stun and saw the man's eyes shot open. He couldn't move, which proved useful. Soojin took her water and began to drown him. Himchan began to walk away and began the process all over. He heard women's cries, however, and Himchan decided to investigate.

"Himchan, get back here! You will not make me fail this mission," Soojin ordered.

Himchan ignored her. He looked and saw many of the women fleeing. He looked around and saw Alex grabbing as many women with his air as he possibly could.

"And what are you planning to do with them?" Himchan demanded.

"Oh relax, wonder boy. I just plan to have a trophy is all. Now tell me, which one makes a wonderful wife for me?" Alex asked, holding the scared women close to him.

"Neither. Let them go," Himchan ordered.

"I'm sorry, but you don't give orders," Alex said.

"We were to spare the women and children-"

"Kill them all," he heard Soojin order.

"You can't be serious," Himchan said in disbelief.

Soojin only shrugged. He saw Alex taking the air from the two women he captured and left their lifeless bodies in the dirt. Lilac came out, with blood all over her shirt and mouth.

"The children have been taken care of," Lilac said with no emotion in her voice.

"Are you… you can't be serious! They had futures! What if they were mutants like us? What then?" Himchan asked.

"We don't think. We only kill," Soojin explained.

Himchan felt the electricity coursing through his veins. He feels so angry, so betrayed. This was his team? Who didn't feel bothered that they were killing women and children. They ignored him and began to continue their massacre. Himchan had enough.

He didn't remember much. He remembered a bolt of light and his 'teammates' lying dead in front of him. Many of the men, women, and children came out of hiding and stared at their supposed hero. Himchan looked around, their faces looking relaxed and thankful. Their faces soon changed into fear and ran when they spotted someone else coming. Himchan looked up and saw his drill sergeant coming towards him. Himchan could feel his blood boiling.

"Disappointing, but not surprising. You're becoming too powerful. You must be exterminated," the sergeant explained.

Before the sergeant had the chance to pull out his gun, Himchan already used the remaining electricity and zapped him off his hover board. The man laid dead before him. His eyes were milky white and blood was coming out of his mouth. Himchan looked at the villagers, who seemed scared of him now. Before any of them could ask what or who he is, he escaped. He channeled his electricity and began to fly away, something he never did but is beginning to enjoy it.

\-----

At twenty-three, he began to start his own small business. Well, it was self-employed. He murdered people that was doing the bad and he gets called a villain. There was once where he almost took over a small town, but he was still fueling with anger. After he calmed himself, he began to practice.

"We like you to join our team," a man named Bang Yongguk requested a few days he aged to eighteen.

"Thanks, but I'm not interested. Find some other boy scout to help you out," Himchan said, about to close the door.

As the days grew on, more of the supposed team members kept knocking on his door, but he always refused. He can't handle a team and he's not going to start joining one anytime soon.

The doorbell rang again and Himchan was about to start yelling at whoever was at the door when he saw a rather familiar face. A bit small in stature, but tall in height.

"Hunter," Himchan breathed out.

"Daehyun, really. I'm surprised you remembered me. You didn't stay at the camp long when you were chosen," Daehyun told him.

Himchan said nothing.

"Like I said, I'm not interested in being a team. I'm fine doing this myself," Himchan told him.

"You're destroying lives! We want you to do better. Your life doesn't revolve around killing and hurting innocent people," Daehyun argued.

Himchan scoffed.

"Innocent. Right. I'm sure that's exactly what we're made to thing. They were rapists and killers that I murdered. I made sure of it! You're lucky I haven't started on government officials yet," Himchan argued.

"No, but I know they're next on your list. You know what they want to do with us, and you want to make sure that nothing like that happens," Daehyun pointed out.

Himchan has thought about killing the government officials before, but he wanted to do it at the right moment, at the right time.

"You can observe me however you like with your Artemis powers; you won't get anything from me. You and I both know this," Himchan told him.

"I know. Doesn't hurt to try," Daehyun stated.

Himchan stared at Daehyun, watching to see what he'll do.

"I can't protect you, you know. Once you go rogue, our team will do everything in our power to take you down," Daehyun warned.

"Thanks for the warning. Believe me, when I decide to go rogue, you'll be the first to know," Himchan said.

Daehyun then left his apartment and left Himchan alone in his home. He let out a sigh of relief and belt his pulse buzzing. He won't go rogue. Not again, anyway.

\-----

Himchan heard the news everywhere. He wants to make the people around him safe. He wants them to look forward, instead of looking back and looking to see if someone was following him.

He entered inside a small store filled with mostly junk and goodies that people get as a quick snack. He looked around and saw a pretty girl looking at the magazines. Two men were around, making obscene gestures towards her and the other mouthing dirty words towards her. The girl looked rather uncomfortable. Himchan continued observing them, debating whether or not to zap them. They haven't done anything to harm the girl yet, but he's waiting for one of them to screw up.

"Hey there, pretty young thing. You look rather lonely," the guy greeted her, placing his hand on her waist.

"Oh, no. My boyfriend is around the corner waiting for me," the girl explained.

"Really? I'm sure your "boyfriend" won't mind if we… chatted with you, right?" the guy asked.

Himchan couldn't see, but by the look of discomfort and embarrassment, the guy decided to grab her ass. Himchan, very discretely, sent a small dose of electricity and zapped it towards the guy.

"Ow! The fuck?"  
Himchan continued browsing and picked out a can of soda and some chips. He walked towards the front and sent them down on the counter.

"Why don't you leave that poor woman alone?" Himchan requested, staring at the confused man.

"And who are you? Her supposed knight in shining armor?" the second man asked.

"No. I'm much more than that," Himchan said.

Himchan's hand moved only once and sent a large ball of electricity towards one of the guys, killing him instantly.

"Dear god! You're one of the freaks!" the second guy declared.

The girl ran for cover and the cashier ducked behind the counter, obviously calling the police to try and arrest a rogue mutant.

"Mutant is usually the correct term. What your opinions are, it doesn't matter. You did wrong and I'm here to fix it," Himchan declared.

The man was ready to run, until Himchan grabbed hold of the electrical cables and dragged the man back towards him. He looked completely terrified and furious.

"You can't hurt me. It's against your code," the man growled.

"Well, that's the difference between me and everybody else; I kill to clean this world. Especially from people like you," Himchan explained.

Himchan placed a hand on his chest and let the electricity surge into the man's chest. The next thing Himchan knew, there was an outline where the man once was. Himchan felt completely drained and walked back towards the counter and placed a twenty on the counter.

"Keep the change."

Himchan left the store, taking a sip of his drink.

\-----

Himchan entered his apartment and froze. The air was different. He turned his head and saw Daehyun sitting on his couch, glaring at the alcohol that stilled in his glass.

"We talked about this," Daehyun told him.

"If I knew you were stalking, I wouldn't have to," Himchan told him.

"They were innocent people you killed back there. People with families and a home to go to," Daehyun stated.

"One was selling illegal firearm and the other was trying to get lucky with a girl that was way too uncomfortable for her liking. To be honest, I made light treason," Himchan explained, taking off his shoes and walking towards the couch.

"Still, it's not what we do," Daehyun explained.

"No, it's what _you_ do. I'm not part of your so called team. I work on my own. I either get paid, or I don't. Either way, I punish those who do bad. I save someone's life, or their marriage, or their family. You save an entire city and you get a plaque with your team's name on it," Himchan answered.

Daehyun only stared at him. Himchan could feel him glossing over him.

"You can channel in your inner Artemis all you want, Hunter, but you won't get anything from me," Himchan told him, using the nickname as a sort of mock, yet sort of affectionate. It was a name that Himchan first gave him when they first met in that hell of a camp.

"I'm trying to figure out what broke you. You would've been a great asset to our team," Daehyun pondered.

"Hell broke me. Being put into that army team broke me. You don't get it, do you? The village we stormed into was filled with people like us. I didn't figure that out until a few years back. So you can tell me all you want that you want to save the world, I want to clean it. _That_ was why I was given these powers. So run along back to your leader and tell him that I'm not interested. That my plans are completely different from his," Himchan said.

Daehyun glared at him and Himchan saw him clenching his fist.

"I hate you," Daehyun growled.

_I love you._ "The feeling is mutual," Himchan answered.

The house shattered at the force Daehyun gave to the house. Himchan let out a sigh and tried to calm his heart. Even after these years, he still has that stupid crush on the younger, the idiot still held his heart.

\-----

Daehyun always came by when Himchan murdered people that deserved it. This time, however, it was a rather powerful senator that Himchan killed.

"You went too far!" Daehyun shouted.

"I think I did alright. The guy was gonna pass a bill to force mutants to wear collars to monitor their whereabouts. I'm sorry, but I don't think I look good with a collar," Himchan told him, pouring himself a glass of something with alcohol.

"This isn't a game, Himchan! They know that a mutant killed him. Because of you, they might pass that bill now. What were you thinking?" Daehyun demanded.

" _I_ was thinking that I'd rather clean him out while I had the chance. Yeah, there may be people out there that want it to pass, but it goes to show how angry mutants are. We're treated like _second class citizens_! They think we have no emotions, that we're here to convert everybody into it. I'm _tired_ ," Himchan said.

"You don't think I am? I'm tired of having to explain your shit to my teammates. They think it's ridiculous that I'm defending you, yet here I am, doing it. You make our job a thousand times harder because we're supposed to help these people, not kill them! Why do you have to act so selfish?" Daehyun asked.

"You're right, Daehyun. You're so right! Gee, why have I been acting so selfish all these years! I mean, it was my selfishness that saw a whole entire village almost get slaughtered, children dying in my arms, and a mutant child being hung in front of the entire town who _applauded_. So yes, it is because I'm so _selfish_ that I'm doing this. _Not_ because people still think it's okay to murder mutants. Who believe your team is nothing but a nuisance," Himchan snapped.

The lights over them shattered and the entire house grew dark. Himchan cursed and took a deep breath. He hated it when his anger got the best of him.

"Himchan-"

"I'm sorry, I thought you hated me. So why are you here?" Himchan demanded.

"Because I hate you."

Himchan furrowed his eyebrows and looked at Daehyun.

"I hate that you cause fear into the town, that we have to be the number one team to drag your ass down. I hate the fact that I have to make sure you don't do anything stupid because I know you better. I hate the fact that I'm so alone in that team, that if you were there that you would get what I've been through. That you have some sort of inkling of the pain other mutants are forced into. I hate the fact that your thick head is refusing to be in a team that allows clean the city up the way we want to. Believe me, I hate you with every single nerve in my body, but I also still love you because of it," Daehyun explained.

Himchan wanted to do everything in his power to caress Daehyun's face, to finally say that yes, he'll join his stupid team.

He did none of that.

"I'm sorry, but we're enemies now. I can't love you. Not now, not ever. All we have is hate now. Please stop coming in here to check on me. When we meet on the battlefield, I hope that I destroy your and your team," Himchan said.

Daehyun only stared and had tears trailing along his cheeks. He saw Daehyun running off and slamming the door behind him. He took a deep breath and stared at the broken lights.

\-----

When they did meet in battle, Daehyun perfectly aimed at Himchan's heart and shot.


	15. I'm Your Biggest Fan

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Week 15: A story set at a concert or festival.

The festival of books was something that Junhong never expected to exist. He's been there a couple of times throughout the years, yet he still couldn't believe it. So many different genres and types of books sitting in one location was amazing. Especially on the USC campus that he was attending.

"Hi, can I take one of the programs?" Junhong asked as he approached one of the booths.

"Sure," the woman greeted, handing him a program and a bag.

Junhong thanked them and began to look through the map. He saw the different tents and events going on, but he really focused on one author in particular.

Yoo Youngjae.

Youngjae was Junhong's idol. He loved everything that the man wrote (although there was one book in particular that he thought wasn't that good, even though it's his most popular one. His opinions). He remembered hearing that Youngjae was going to be at the festival of books a few years back, but he couldn't go because of some stupid midterm that held him back. Now he has the chance to go see him, especially with one of those talk sessions. And an autograph session. Starting at somewhere between three and five. Junhong still had time. Plus, he has tickets to see Youngjae talk, so he's going to make it the best he could and walk around. See if there are any books around that tickle his fancy.

About three hours of walking and cruising around, Junhong found five books and three totes. It made it easier for him to carry all his stuff, anyway, instead of using his backpack that held the book he wants Youngjae to sign. He looked at his watch and saw that it was almost time for a Q and A chat with him. He rushed towards where he knows talk sessions were at, presented his ticket, and rushed to get a rather good seat. He was somewhere in the center. A little close to the front, but not close enough for Yoo Youngjae to see him. He cheered with everybody else when he saw Youngjae walking out towards the front. He took his bow and waved at the crowd. Junhong thinks Youngjae must be a bit crazy to wear a long sleeve shirt and thick jeans, especially in a weather like this.

"Hello, we're here with Youngjae Yoo, here to talk about his new upcoming book," one of the hostess introduces. Junhong cringed a little. There wasn't anything wrong with what she said, it's just that the way she introduced him sounded off.

"So tell us, is the theme of forbidden love and romance still used in this book as well?"

Now Junhong noticed why it was off. She was criticizing him. Why, even he didn't know.

"Well, Hannah, if you actually read between the lines, you'll notice that it's not all about love and romance. It's about making the most difficult choices. It's about facing the consequences of what one must choose and the hardships of family. I'm sure you'll notice that if you actually read my book," Youngjae answered.

Junhong stifled a bit of a laugh, and he saw that the others were, too. The hostess looked a bit stunned, but seemed to come back from it by giving him a plastic smile.

"Yes, of course! Well, your story sure is going to be a hit, I'm sure of it. Now, there are rumors that one of your books is going to be a feature film. Can you tell us a little about that?" the hostess asked. Now she seems to be taking her job more seriously.

"Of course! Well, it's still in the works so we're still on casting right now for Meredith and Joseph. We believe that the film may be released around two or three years, give or take," Youngjae answered.

"And who do you think you want to be cast in the leading roles? May I suggest Shailene Woodley? Such an amazing and emotional actress, I may say," she suggested.

"You may suggest, but I will reject. Meredith is of Asian American decent. So pretty much anybody from Asia will take the part. Whether from China or Japan, to India or Indonesian. There's many actors and actresses of color that I will not be whitewashing my characters to suit your needs," Youngjae answered.

Junhong pretty much ignored the rest of what the lady was saying. She would put in her two cents, only to have Youngjae shut it down. And that's why Junhong loves Youngjae as a person as well, because he's not afraid to tell them what he believes and to tell the other person they're wrong.

After a few minutes of endless questions and answers, the hostess finally let Youngjae go. Junhong shot up from his seat and quickly made his way towards the tent where he knows Youngjae is going to be at. It wasn't a long line, but it did stretch out a bit far. He got in line and sat down on the cold concrete. He could feel his heart beating in his chest from the excitement he had.

It was no secret from his best friend Jongup that he had a small crush on the author. He liked his sense of humor, and his way of telling a story. He loved everything about that man, yet he was so scared to meet him. This time, however, he was going to do it. He was going to meet not only his idol, but also his crush because it was high time to stop being a little bitch about it, as Jongup always put it. (Although, Junhong usually used that advice at Jongup when he's scared to ask out the cashier at seven-eleven, but that's neither here nor there.)

The line was starting to move. Junhong got up and clutched his favorite book close to his chest. It was a rather unpopular novel of Youngjae's. Most didn't like it because of the plot and the characters, but Junhong loved it most of all because of the story it told. Three different people's stories, yet they all found each other in the end.

When Junhong got up to the front, he saw Youngjae so clearly that he almost fainted. He was so much better looking than his pictures or the videos he would see on youtube.

"Hi, can I get your name?" a lady asked.

Junhong got a bit scared and looked at her.

"Oh, Junhong," he answered.

After spelling his name right with his help, she stuck the post it on Junhong's book and motioned for him to go next. He saw Youngjae finish talking to one of the girls before one of the attendants motioned for Junhong to go ahead and go next. Junhong smiled happily and set his book down on the table. Youngjae looked up at him and smiled.

"Hi!" he greeted.

"Hi," Junhong greeted softly.

"Not a lot of people actually like this one. Why do you?" Youngjae asked as he began to sign it.

"I love the stories. It may not be 'realistic', as some people say, but it's still a moving story. In fact, a lot of your books are more about the story instead of the plot of characters. That's why I love that book," Junhong answered.

Youngjae smiled softly. Before Junhong could even look, Youngjae quickly jotted something down in the book.

"Usually, they bring _Isle of the West Wind_ or _Suns and Stars_. You're the first person who actually brought this instead," he said.

"Why does it matter?" Junhong asked, accepting his copy of the book.

"Because it's my favorite," Youngjae answered.

Before Junhong could say anything more, one of the attendants ushered him away as another fan set their book down to get it signed. Junhong walked away and took a peak at what Youngjae wrote. What he wrote was something he didn't really expect.

It was the usual signature, with Youngjae writing his name. Underneath it, however, was a phone number, and a note that read ' _you seem interesting. Call me whenever you're in Los Angeles._ '

Junhong's heart skipped a beat.


	16. New Perspective

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Week 16: A story that begins with a gunshot.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So not really a gunshot, but there is one in there in the beginning. Fuck the rules!

The sound of a gunshot took him by surprise.

When Yongguk was younger, he would hear gunshots ringing through his ears. The first time he heard it, he got up from his bed to look out the window to see what was going on outside, but he saw nothing. Then, he heard gunshots again, but this time fainter.

It was the first time his parents explained soulmates to him.

He remembered his parents explaining that it was more about senses. He could feel, taste, smell, glimpse, and hear what his soulmate would. Sometimes he would catch glances at a school in a city that he isn't too familiar with. There was once when he looked at himself in the mirror that his reflection was not his own. It was a glance, but it was one he remembers still to this day.

As Yongguk grew older, his curiosity of the different senses he has changes throughout the years. When he was younger, he would smell cigarette smoke, even though no one in his family smoked. When he reached his teen years, the smoke vanished and in its place it smelled sweet and homey. He didn't taste plastic anymore. He would still hear gunshots, but very rarely.

Yongguk is twenty-three now. He moved out of his parents' home and began to live in the city. It was closer to his job and he could experience more what there is to offer, instead of the town he lived in before. He lives with his best friend, Himchan, who was more than welcome to let him stay and pay rent for their shared apartment.

"It'll be just like college! Except instead of staying up late to finish finals, we'll stay up late going out to clubs," Himchan said.

"I don't think so," Yongguk stated, taking a sip of his coffee.

"Come on! We're adults! We should have fun before we get old and wrinkly. Then we'll regret not even going outside," Himchan encouraged.

"We'll see," Yongguk answered.

He put in his headphones to finish the conversation, which made Himchan a little ticked off, but he only huffed and left. Yongguk only smirked and let the beat of the music play through his ears. He felt his body moving with the music. He looked to see that Himchan actually left the apartment and Yongguk decided to attempt and copy the moves his soulmate was doing.

It was a lot harder than he anticipated.

Yongguk remembered his soulmate learning to dance, with his moves so fluid and clean. He wanted to learn, he really did. His dance teacher convinced him that maybe dancing wasn't really for him. Yongguk agreed. He mostly liked music anyway.

After the music died out and the dance began to finish, Yongguk looked around and stared at the wall. He caught a glimpse of someone coming out of a room, but the vision faded and he sighed. He needs to find his soulmate soon.

\-----

Walking down the street of Seoul was one of the pastimes he loved to do. He collected his thoughts and let the smell of the city take him in. It was late enough to see the people around him, but early enough that the shops won't open until much later in the day. There was a coffee shop that was open early, however, but he never had the opportunity to go in.

"Come on, let's try this place," Himchan urged.

Sometimes Himchan would come along if he wakes up early enough.

"Not today. I'm not in a coffee mood," Yongguk answered.

"You never are. Come on!" Himchan whined.

He only sighed and finally agreed. The two made their way inside the coffee shop and Yongguk instantly smelled something that seemed familiar. It was strange because he's never been in here before. Yet, everything around him seemed familiar to him.

"You look lost," Himchan commented.

Yongguk said nothing. He looked at the list of coffee names and saw that they were lists of musicians and bands that he's pretty sure he's never heard of.

"Hi, welcome to Spotlight Café. May I take your order?" one of the baristas greeted.

Yongguk was still peering over the menu. Himchan took his chance and ordered the Prince, whatever that meant. He spotted one that looked very familiar to him, yet he knew he never tried this one before.

"I'll take a Queen with three shots of raspberry," Yongguk ordered.

"Sure thing. It will only take a few minutes," the barista said.

He had a rather bright smile with a bit of crooked teeth that made him look adorable. He had a small mole that was located on the bridge of his nose.

After paying, the two friends sat down and began people watching. Their coffee orders came up and the two accepted it, and then left.

"I feel like I've been there before," Yongguk said, staring at the coffee shop from a distance.

"But you haven't," Himchan pointed out, taking a sip of his coffee.

Yongguk said nothing and began to take a sip of his own. It tasted so familiar, yet he knew he never tasted this before. He looked back at the coffee shop again. Maybe his soulmate frequented that café before.

He needed to test this before he could assume anything.

\-----

The next day, Yongguk woke extra early and took a stroll over to the coffee shop again. He ordered what he ordered before and took a seat somewhere in the corner. He stared at the people walking by, conversing and talking with one another. He mostly stared at the males in particular. How he knew was a secret he kept with Himchan.

Let's just say that there was… experimentation that happened.

He grew a little bored and began to read the book he brought, but his attention barely focused on the book in particular. By the end of the day, he barely read the first page.

"Sir, we're closing up," the barista announced.

It was the same barista as yesterday. Yongguk gave him a polite smile and stuffed everything in his bag. He got up, threw away the numerous coffee cups into the trash, and began to make his way out of the café. Well, day one was a bust. And he called work to say he was sick. He can't do that tomorrow, so he'll have to do it the next day. He sighed and began to make his way home.

\-----

He's been doing this for weeks. He's getting sick of ordering Queen, so he ordered a Fall Out Boy, and occasionally a Misfits. No matter how many times he would come in here, he wouldn't see any males ordering any fruity drinks that he ordered. The same barista would stand behind the counter, giving the same bright smile to different customers. Other times, he would look completely bored or go to the back to do something. He began to get to know the barista a little better.

Like his name.

He figured that if he was going to scope out the people here, he might as well know the barista's name, whose name is Jongup.

During the fifth week he kept coming in here did his soulmate finally make himself known.

It was mostly an accident on Yongguk's part. He saw a glimpse of someone walking towards him, but when he blinked, he saw no one there. He furrowed his eyebrows and looked around. The person was nowhere around. He looked towards where Jongup was and saw a rather familiar face coming out of the back room. Then something hit him.

He knew the familiarity of the scent because someone came in here multiple times. Jongup works here, so he knows the scent of coffee beans and steamed milk. He got up and began to walk over to them.

"Oh Yongguk! Hi! This is my friend Youngjae. Youngjae, this is the customer I was talking about," Jongup introduced.

"Oh, so you're that Yongguk. Pleasure to meet you. Now if you'll excuse me, I have to go and see my boyfriend. Talk to you later," Youngjae said.

Youngjae soon left the two alone and Yongguk felt a little uncomfortable.

"Do you want a refill," Jongup asked him.

"Ithinkyou'remysoulmate," Yongguk blurted out, barely catching his breath.

Jongup froze and stared.

"I… how do you know?" Jongup asked, fidgeting with his necklace.

"I caught a glimpse of Youngjae, even though he wasn't anywhere near me. You like to dance when I listen to music. You like really spicy food, which is something I have yet to handle. When I first came into this coffee shop, it smelt familiar even though I've never been in here," Yongguk answered.

Jongup gave him a soft smile.

"You have a tendency to sleep at random times during the day that I feel completely drowsy, even though I didn't do anything that day. You like really weird food and your diet mostly contains ramen for some reason. I think… I think you're my soulmate, too," Jongup confessed.

Yongguk smiled widely and felt his cheeks turning red. It wasn't really the confession he was looking for, but it was sure damn close to it.


	17. Soy El Mismo

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Week 17: A story set in a country you've never been to.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A spanish song written by prince royce. it's a bit bittersweet, but it fits a little.

Yucatán was a place that was very near and dear to Daehyun's heart. It wasn't where he was born, but it's a place where he grew up. He remembered his parents telling him that it was to give him new opportunities in a foreign land that wasn't the United States, so Daehyun believed them. He spoke their language (which was sort of Spanish, but not really. It's a bit confusing), but also spoke Korean to his parents. He lives in a rather popular town called Mérida. A rather gorgeous, yet somewhat congested location.

One of the things Daehyun loves is tourist season. The reason being is that they give the most money to the locals, they don't understand much Spanish, and they always get lost. Sometimes the city will host student exchange programs from different parts of the world. This year, for the spring session, there were students that arrived from Korea. There were others from different Latin countries like Argentina and Bolivia. Some students from European countries like Italy and France. The Korean ones are intriguing to him, however, especially when it's late at night and they come into the store that Daehyun is working at.

One person, however, caught his interest quickly.

" _Hello, did you find everything okay?_ " Daehyun asked in Spanish.

The man in front of him looked confused. He had jet black hair with fox-like features and wearing pajamas. His skin was fair and clean, he realized.

"I'm… sorry. Um… No hablo español?" the man tried.

"Very good, but I think you should just stick to Korean," Daehyun told him.

The man's expression changed from confused to surprised. Daehyun resisted the urge to laugh.

"You speak Korean?" the man asked.

"Fluently. I am Korean, you know," he answered.

"Oh… I thought everybody spoke Spanish," the man said.

"Technically, it's not really Spanish. It's a weird mixture of Spanish and Mayan, but we do speak it here. It's a bit confusing," Daehyun explained.

"Right. Anyway, I'd like to buy these," the man hesitantly said, placing the items on top of the counter. Daehyun scanned all of the snacks that the man presented.

"Late night?" Daehyun asked as he began to scan the last item.

"Something like that. I'm still trying to get used to the atmosphere and the culture here," the man explained.

"After a while, you get used to it. You'll start picking up the language, the taste of our food begins to change, and the look of the culture starts becoming normal," Daehyun offered.

The man smiled softly. Daehyun totaled up the man's purchase and the man paid for it all. After Daehyun bagged his groceries, he handed it to the man and watched him walk away. He thought nothing of it and began to clean up as the store is getting ready to close.

It wasn't the last time he saw the man, however.

The next day, he saw the same man again, looking through the aisles of junk food. Daehyun said nothing as he continued to clean around his area.

"Hi again," the man greeted.

Daehyun looked up and smiled softly.

"Hello. Can't sleep?" Daehyun asked him.

The man looked hesitant. "Something like that."

Daehyun began to ring up his items and placed them in the bag.

"You don't work in the afternoons, do you?" the man asked.

Daehyun stared at the man questioningly.

"I don't. Why do you ask?" Daehyun asked him.

"I went to the store earlier and there was another guy there," the man explained.

"Oh, that's Junhong. He was like you until he decided to live here permanently. He's still getting used to the language," Daehyun explained.

"Well, I'm Himchan. You'll probably be seeing me a lot until next year," Himchan told him.

"I'm Daehyun. I'll see you around then," Daehyun introduced.

After paying for his items, Himchan soon left the convenience store and went to his apartment that the other exchange students were sharing. Daehyun watched him go and continued on cleaning.

And then as the weeks followed, something interesting happened.

It was a normal, boring night. Daehyun just finished fixing his candy aisle when Himchan stepped into the store. It became a habit for him to enter the store at night, since it was the only store to be open during the late hours of the day. He always got the same thing; lemon flavored chips with some Spanish soda that Himchan probably couldn't pronounce, and food that Daehyun wouldn't dare tell him what it really was. However, Himchan wasn't here for food, he realized.

"Can I help you?" Daehyun asked.

"Okay, this may sound a bit too forward, but is it okay if I just… make out with you?" Himchan asked him.

Daehyun was a bit confused. Sure, he had flings before in the past. Mostly students from out of the country looking for some passionate summer romance. And usually Daehyun asks _them_ before they make the first move.

Daehyun must've nodded his head, because the next thing he knew, the man's lips were on his own, moving frantically and looking for something that Daehyun knows is there. The kiss turned passionate and frantic, like Himchan wants something. He feels so desperate.

After a few minutes of the intense make out session, Daehyun finally pulled away to let in some air into his lungs.

"Well, that's new," Daehyun commented.

Daehyun saw Himchan blushing immediately. He let go of Daehyun and began to pace around.

"Are you okay?" Daehyun asked him.

Himchan snapped his head up and shook his head.

"I've… I've never done this before! This is all new to me. I've never had a fling before and I don't know what to do! What will happen when my school finds out? They'll… they'll think I'm some floozy or… or a tramp and I won't get into the field I want or get to play the musical instruments I want and I'll never-"

"Himchan, calm down! Nothing like that will happen! If you want, we'll take it slow. Nice and slow. We can go out and eat somewhere if you want. I know a great seafood restaurant that you may like," Daehyun offered, hesitating to put his hands on the man's shoulder's.

Himchan smiled softly and began to calm down a bit. His face was less red than before.

"I'd… I'd like that. Thank you," Himchan said.

Daehyun smiled and gently pecked Himchan's cheek.

"For now, go back to sleep. We'll discuss this in the morning," Daehyun told him.

Himchan did as he was told and began to make his way back to the apartment across the street.

\-----

The date that Daehyun planned didn't go exactly as planned.

The seafood restaurant went great. That part went perfect and nothing went entirely wrong.

It was when Daehyun made the suggestion to come to their apartment for some drinks.

When the two reached to Daehyun's apartment, Himchan kissed Daehyun with as much passion and desire as the time they were in the convenience store. And that was how they ended up having sex in Daehyun's apartment.

It wasn't anything new to Daehyun. He's had his fair share of lovers from before. Each one ended up in sex and it usually lasted a couple of weeks or days depending on the person. Himchan, however, was a little bit different. When the sex was over and Himchan rolled over, he didn't immediately get up and leave. He stayed in Himchan's bed and cuddled up to the younger. Daehyun thought it was a bit strange, but didn't think much of it and went to sleep.

The next morning, Daehyun opened his eyes and rolled over. Himchan was still there, eyes closed with a dust of pink on his cheeks. He soon stirred awake and looked at Daehyun.

"Mm. Good morning," Himchan greeted, his rather husky voice sounding deeper and sending a chill down Daehyun's spine.

"Good morning to you, too. Do you want to do something today?" Daehyun asked.

Himchan rested his chin on top of Daehyun's chest. His black hair messy and all over the place.

"Hm… I don't have anything plan. Why, do you have something planned?" Himchan asked him.

"I was thinking of going to a museum. It's one of my favorites, actually. It's called the Museo Conmemorativo de la Inmigración Coreana a Yucatán. It's to remember our ancestor's journey from traveling to Korean to Yucatán," Daehyun told him.

Daehyun saw Himchan thinking about it.

"Okay. It sounds fun. And it's a learning experience, so it's a double win," Himchan agreed.

The day was spent mostly at the museum and eating at taco vendors. Himchan was a bit grossed out at the food, but after eating it he thought it was okay. Daehyun had to laugh at his reaction when he told the elder the different parts of the pig they were eating.

As the months went by, Daehyun began to develop feelings for him. Genuine feelings of love for the man that he didn't think were possible.

It didn't help that Himchan had to leave when the school year was over.

"Stay with me," Daehyun offered.

"Excuse me?" Himchan asked.

"Stay with me. We can be together here! Think of all the things we can do together. We can eat out all the time, we can go dancing and try all the foods that may seem strange but are actually very tasty," Daehyun explained.

"And what about my friends and my family? I can't just leave them, you know. They won't be pleased when they find out I decided to stay in Mexico for a _boy_ ," Himchan told him.

Daehyun flinched. He knew that his parents are not exactly accepting on the queer lifestyle. However, Daehyun wanted Himchan to stay, to be with him so that Daehyun could love him and he could be loved in return.

"We'll strike a deal, okay? I'll go back home and I'll try to find a way to come back. And then we'll be together like we'd plan," Himchan told him.

Daehyun pouted. It would take a rather long time.

"Hey, no pouting. I promise I'll be back soon, okay! Until then, I have to go home," Himchan said.

The two exchanged emails and addresses to one another so they could still be kept in contact. The next week, Himchan left Yucatán and Daehyun behind. Daehyun still kept the hope that Himchan will come back for him, that the two will start their life together.

He was oh so very wrong.

\-----

Himchan sent a letter to Daehyun to tell him that he was rejected into going back to Yucatán and that he's forced to stay in Korea. Daehyun wasn't really that surprised, but he was still hurt. Over the years, the two kept in contact. Mostly through email and letters. As the letters began to dwindle, so did Daehyun's efforts. The letters used to come once every two weeks. Now it'll be twice a month. Then once a month. Then once every six months. Daehyun's heart began to grow heavy and his working habits began to slow. Junhong started to notice this, too, and offered a helping hand to the other.

It wasn't the same with Himchan, and it didn't make him feel any better either.

The last letter Daehyun received tore his heart into two.

It was a letter with a photograph, of Himchan smiling widely in a rather nice tuxedo. Next to him was a rather pretty girl, with tight curled hair and a radiant smile. She was wearing a white wedding dress. Her name is Soohyeon. The two got married back in May.

After that, Daehyun stopped responding. He knew that Himchan's promise was mostly empty words anyway. He knew Himchan wouldn't want to be with him anyway so he didn't make the effort. He leaned his back against the board of his bed and stared at the ceiling.

It was time to move on, anyway.


	18. My Heart Will Go On

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Week 18: A story about a historical figure.

The sky was clear with a couple hints of clouds. The rather large ship was floating gently near the docks. The titanic, as Youngjae read, was famous for being an unsinkable ship. He didn't really believe the ship could be unsinkable, but he was willing to try. Besides, he needed to be on his way to New York so this was a rather faster way of getting there.

"Oh this is so much fun! Imagine the possibilities of what we're going to see!" his friend, Himchan, said, smiling widely.

Behind him was Yongguk, who was struggling to carry their luggage. Yongguk was Himchan's personal butler, as Youngjae believes him to be called. He feels bad for the elder, because he's forced to do the bidding of Himchan who can be quite demanding at times.

"We're goning to be seeing the ocean, so there isn't much to see," Youngjae points out.

"Well, we're still going to do something on the ship! Come Yongguk. We need to get to my cabin so we can sort everything there," Himchan ordered.

Youngjae heard Yongguk grumbling about something, but he chose to ignore it. He followed behind them, presented his ticket to one of the workers, and boarded the ship. Everything on the ship was clean and rather elegant. Well, Youngjae thought, it was the advantage of being rich. He followed behind Himchan since their rooms were so close together. He saw someone familiar and looked at the person in question.

"Who are you staring at?" Himchan asked him, looking to see who he was looking at.

"Oh, no one important, I'm afraid. Come, we mustn't be late for dinner," Youngjae told him.

He turned his head and saw the familiar girl again. She was tall, standing at five foot six inches with dark brown hair and dark brown eyes. She was young and pale, he noted, but she was still pretty. He paid for her ticket, but she demanded to be set in third class since it was where she belonged.

Her name is Choi Junhong, sometimes called Junnie by her friends.

Junhong stared at him and smiled softly. He motioned that he would see her later and the two made their separate ways.

\-----

Afternoon tea was a bore, in Youngjae's opinion. It was mostly Himchan doing the talking while Youngjae listened and Yongguk looking completely bored.

"Oh, Lady Jongup! I didn't expect to see you," Himchan greeted.

Youngjae turned his attention and saw a young female with tight curled hair, a rather soft dress, and facial features that makes her look innocent. She was pretty, he'll give her that.

"Oh, my mother planned this last minute, I suppose. We'll converse later," she greeted, waving goodbye to them.

Youngjae looked up and saw Yongguk staring at the lady with interest that he's sure Himchan would suspect. Youngjae felt bad for him. The Lady Jongup was to marry Himchan within three months in an arranged marriage. It was the reason the three decided to head towards New York for a wedding that the two want to remember forever. It was a loveless marriage, but one for status and power.

"I'm going to stretch my legs. I'll meet you two back in the room," Youngjae announced.

Youngjae stood up and left before Himchan could say anything. He made his way out of the restaurant and saw the ship moving with incredible speed. He walked along the side and stared at the ocean's waves. It was so peaceful and brilliant. He looked forward and saw Junhong looking out into the ocean. He snuck up behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist.

"Hello, love," Youngjae greeted, kissing her neck softly.

Junhong let out a soft giggle, something Youngjae is still getting used to. She's a tough girl, always wanting something her way and letting everyone know it.

"Hello yourself. So tell me, what are we doing on the ship of dreams?" Junhong asked him.

"My, I thought you knew. We're going to New York so we could get married properly. No family, and no one to tell us that we shouldn't," Youngjae answered.

Junhong hummed at his answer.

"Don't you have another wedding to go to, though? One by the name Kim Himchan?" Junhong asked him.

"The Lady Jongup is too in love with Himchan's butler. If anything, the two will run away together to who knows where. Himchan will get over it, but we'll see what happens. Even if, we can still get married the day after or the day before. Either way, we are to be wed and be together," Youngjae told her.

"Forever and ever," Junhong finished.

Youngjae gave her a soft kiss as the sound of the ocean waves crashing onto the large ship was heard.

"Youngjae? Where did you go?" a familiar voice asked.

"Shit. I should leave. Until tomorrow love," Junhong told him, kissing his cheek softly.

Youngjae waved goodbye to her and smiled softly. She disappeared towards the bottom of the stairs. He turned around and saw Himchan looking for him.

"There you are! I was looking everywhere for you! You weren't in your cabin, so I'd thought to find you," Himchan told him.

"Oh, I'm sorry. I thought I should walk around before I head back to my cabin," Youngjae answered.

"Well come on, we should go back to our cabin. It's getting late and I'd rather use be asleep or else we'd get groggy," Himchan told him.

It was only the first night, yet Youngjae can't wait to step foot into New York.

\-----

The next day, Youngjae was dragged behind Himchan to the lounge again. He sat next to him, along with Lady Jongup. She wore a gorgeous white gown and a matching hat. She looked rather stunning.

"What's on the menu this time?" Himchan asked.

"It's a surprise. Yongguk was to order for us. Isn't he the sweetest?" Jongup asked, smiling softly.

Youngjae said nothing. He saw the look in Jongup's eyes when she looked at Yongguk, but chose to not say anything. Mostly because it wasn't allowed. Another is that Himchan is very set in marrying the lady so that their fortunes would be set.

"Who is the female accompanying him?" Himchan asked.

Youngjae looked up and saw Yongguk grabbing different foods. One of the servants was helping him decide what to get. She was shorter, with her dark brown hair tied in a tight bun, tan skin, large doe eyes, and plush lips. She wore her standard servant uniform, along with a skirt.

"No idea. She probably works on the cruise line," Youngjae said, taking a sip of his water.

"She's awfully pretty. I'm sure she gets many suitors coming after her," Jongup commented.

He said nothing and waited. The two looked rather uncomfortable, almost jealous if Youngjae was being truthful.

After a while, Yongguk brought back brunch and set them on the table.

"Sorry for taking so long, sir. Many of the foods were being prepared," Yongguk apologized.

"No matter. Who was the servant that you were conversing with?" Himchan asked.

He turned around and saw the same female server, who was conversing with another customer.

"I don't know. I was asking about the different teas that they offered, but she hasn't the foggiest. Another server will bring your tea sir," Yongguk answered.

Youngjae looked at Himchan and saw a look that he hasn't seen in years. It seemed fascinated with the female, he realized. He began to eat his brunch and kept his mouth shut for the rest of the meal.

\-----

Night has already began to fall. He walked down to the third class line wearing his rather dirty clothes and tried to find Junhong. He knows she's around here somewhere, but where he didn't know. He heard rather loud music and walked towards the music. He peaked inside and saw a rather lively show, with loud music from the violins and other instruments and people dancing. Women had their shoes off and were dancing with the men in front of him.

"You look lost, little lamb," a female voice with a rather thick accent purred.

Youngjae jumped and moved away from the female. She was showing a lot more cleavage than he was comfortable with.

"Step off, Gertrude. He's with me," he heard Junhong snap.

The female seemed peeved, but walked away. He turned to Junhong and smiled fondly at her.

"What happened? Got bored upstairs?" Junhong asked him, smiling teasingly.

"Oh my dear, it was dreadful. Himchan was flirting with a serving girl. Nothing wrong with it, but he was being rather…"

"Aggressive?" Junhong offered.

"Ah yes, that word. She looked rather uncomfortable. Thankfully, Yongguk was able to get him away from her for a bit," Youngjae finished.

Junhong grabbed Youngjae by the hands and took him towards the center. Her outfit was rather loose, fitting for a dance.

"Dance with me, handsome," she requested.

"You know I – I'm not very good," Youngjae told her, trying to get away from the dance floor.

"I don't care. Dance with me," she requested again.

She dragged him back towards the dance floor and the two danced with the other couples next to them. Youngjae was laughing and having a rather grand old time, he realized. He spun Junhong a couple of times, trying to get set into the rhythm. When the song ended, the two exhausted themselves and made their way out of the room. It was cooler outside.

"It's gorgeous out here. Look, there are the stars!" Junhong said, staring up into the sky.

The stars were twinkling beautifully. They were so bright and gorgeous.

"They remind me of your eyes," Youngjae told her.

Junhong looked at him, and then looked away. Youngjae knows that Junhong is blushing. He moved her head slightly and gave her a gentle kiss.

"Until tomorrow love?" Youngjae asked her.

Junhong bit her lip and nodded her head. He walked back upstairs towards his cabin and decided that sleep would be a better option for him.

\-----

The next few days were mostly them sneaking off towards either first class or third class. There were times when they went to second class for the fun of it. Youngjae decided to spend dinner with Himchan and the Lady Jongup.

"The server is rather pretty. I finally learned her name, after I apologized to her for my rude behavior. Her name is Daehyun and she's a rather sweet girl, if I do say so myself. She and I will be having dinner tomorrow before the ship docks. I wish to know her before I make any rash decisions," Himchan announced.

"My, dear Himchan! It sounds like you're in love with the girl," Jongup concluded, fanning herself since the temperature inside was rather warm.

"Nonsense! I'm simply curious of the girl is all," Himchan defended.

"You also have a rather large bruise on your neck," Youngjae pointed out, taking a sip of his tea.

Himchan grabbed one of the spoons to inspect it and realized that he did. Youngjae only smirked and continued eating. Yongguk looked a bit pleased, but still kept his posture.

"Ugh. Mother will not be pleased with this when I see her. Oh well. Come, my lady. They're serving dessert and I hear that it's baked Alaska," Himchan said.

Youngjae watched the two walk away and headed towards the dessert table.

"You know, if you really love the lady, you should tell her before we land to New York. Who knows what will happen," Youngjae offered.

He didn't need to see Yongguk's shocked face.

"I don't – that's absurd! I don't love her," Yongguk argued, his face a bit red.

Youngjae said nothing. He finished the last of his dinner and began to make his way to his cabin. He knows he should see Junhong, but the dinner made him rather sleepy and he's ready to settle into his cabin. When he opened the door, however, he saw another figure in his cabin.

"Who's there!" Youngjae demanded.

"Youngjae, it's me," he heard Junhong hiss.

Youngjae lit some candles and saw Junhong staring at him.

"I'm so sorry, my dear. It was too dark," Youngjae apologized.

"It's fine. I did frighten you a bit."

"What are you doing in here in the first place?" Youngjae asked.

"I was lonely. I thought I'd sleep in the same room as you. I know it's improper, but I couldn't help it," Junhong told him.

Youngjae said nothing and kissed her softly.

"It's fine, love. Come, we must sleep. It's getting rather late," Youngjae told her.

He kissed her forehead gently and was about to get dressed for bed, until a great lurch pulled him on top of Junhong accidentally. After the shake stopped, the two got up and looked out the door. Youngjae and Junhong left their cabin and began to make their way towards the deck. Something wasn't right.

When the two made their way up towards first class, they spotted Himchan and a familiar female together, looking at the deck. Youngjae realized that the female was the server. Daehyun?

"Himchan! What just happened?" Youngjae asked his friend.

"An iceberg. An iceberg just ripped the ship. There's water going into the ship," Himchan answered, looking a little dazed.

"Himchan, where's Yongguk and the Lady Jongup? If there's water filling up the ship, then we must leave," Youngjae argued.

Himchan slowly nodded his head, but he didn't say anything.

"Himchan!"

Himchan finally snapped out of it.

"Lady Jongup wasn't feeling so good. I requested Yongguk to take her back to her cabin. They must be there," Himchan told him.

Youngjae began his journey to the female side of the ship's cabins. He remembered Jongup's room number and looked inside, but everything seemed rather untouched. He looked up at Himchan and he instantly knew.

"Where are they?" Himchan asked.

"I don't know, but we can't spend our time looking for them. We have to leave," Youngjae told him.

"No one is going to believe the ship is sinking, Youngjae! They claimed the Titanic is unsinkable," Himchan argued, following right behind him.

"Maybe they'll listen when they're twelve feet underwater," Youngjae argued back.

The two made it back on deck, where they last left Junhong and Daehyun. They began to make their journey where the lifeboats would be. They noticed that other people were there as well, pushing and shoving to get to the front.

"Women and children first!" they heard one of them call out.

"No. No, I'm not leaving you," Junhong told him.

Youngjae wrapped his arms around her and kept her close to his chest. He looked at Himchan and saw him arguing with Daehyun.

"Youngjae! Himchan!" they heard a familiar voice call out.

They turned their heads and saw Jongup running up to them, with Yongguk not far behind.

"Where were you two? We checked your cabin, but you weren't in there," Himchan demanded.

"She wanted to know more about the deck. We didn't know how to get back," Yongguk answered.

"It's only women and children right now. Seeing as the women and children are getting smaller, we should be able to get on," Junhong said.

They made their way to the front. Junhong and Daehyun got on the lifeboat, but Youngjae and Himchan were stopped.

"Women and children only," one of the crews ordered.

"Please! She's pregnant with my child," Himchan told them.

The men seemed conflicted. Youngjae knows that Himchan is pretty much bullshitting, but it seemed to get him on the lifeboat. Youngjae followed right behind him.

"Please let him on! He's with me," they heard Jongup argue.

"I'm sorry, my lady. The first class is getting on first. He's only a lowly third class," one of the crews explained.

"I don't care! Let him on now," Jongup ordered.

The crew wasn't having it, Youngjae realized. They pushed Jongup into the lifeboat and lowered it quickly. Youngjae's heard broke when her strangled cries for Yongguk was heard. He held Junhong close to his body and didn't really want to let her go. They heard a splash next to them and saw Yongguk surfacing up into the water. Jongup offered his hand to her and got up onto the boat. Youngjae smiled softly and she peppered his face with kisses and clutching onto him tightly.

As the lifeboat began to row away from the sinking ship, Youngjae kissed Junhong's temple softly.

"So much for a perfect cruise," Youngjae muttered.

"I don't know. I kind of did like our secret romance. Now it seems everyone knows," Junhong said.

The lifeboat was filled with other people, all who didn't seem quite bothered. They saw the ship split in half and began to sink all the way.

They drifted off to sea until they were rescued a few hours later.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I cheated. They said historical figure and i decided on the titanic. Hey, it's historical!


	19. Break A Leg

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Week 19: A story set in a theatre.

Himchan looked through his clipboard to make sure that everything goes well. He gave certain people outfits for the actors and props to set once the scene changes. Other people would give him status reports on the actors and the other stage crew that have arrived.

"You seem tense," one of the actors commented.

Himchan knows Daehyun very well. In fact, they've worked together before that he isn't surprised anymore when he sees him.

"It's opening day. Why wouldn't I be tense? Did your costume arrive on time?" Himchan asked.

"It did. We still have time, you know. I need to get my makeup done," Daehyun answered.

Himchan didn't seem pleased. He looked at his watch and pushed him towards his dressing room.

"I know you don't care, but the show starts in twenty minutes and you're up first," Himchan stated.

He heard Daehyun groan, but said nothing. Himchan walked away to find the rest of the actors. They were getting their hair and makeup ready, already wearing their costume. He left them alone to find the rest of the stage crew.

"Youngjae! Do you have the sound ready?" Himchan asked him, looking at his clipboard.

"I got here earlier to mess around with the sound. Junhong here is making sure that the sound isn't choppy or making weird noises like it was during rehearsals. We're still going over the sound," Youngjae answered.

"Excellent. And you know the trigger words to set the sound off?" Himchan asked, making notes on his clipboard.

"Yep. Even if we don't, we got a list Youngjae has made. So we're all good," Junhong answered.

"Excellent. I need to see Jongup to check on the props. Make sure the musical numbers are on time," Himchan told him.

He left the sound room and made his way towards the props. The scene was the outside of the castle where the prince would turn into the beast. He went backstage and saw Jongup fixing one of the flower props that was to be used for the scene that introduces Belle.

"What are you doing?" Himchan asked.

"The flowers were crooked and uneven. Some of the petals were missing, so I switched those out," Jongup answered without even looking up.

"And the other props?" Himchan questioned.

"The picnic basket Gaston will use is set up and ready to go. The fake wine bottles are present and the fake bouquet of flowers are already inside it. The glowing rose is already set up and made sure it works. Same as the mirror and the fake fun," Jongup answered.

"Excellent. When the scenes change, make sure they happen fast," Himchan ordered.

"Himchan please! I am a professional," Jongup told him.

"Listen, I don't want to bring up the scene change of The Little Mermaid-"

"Yongguk was very distracting and I missed my cue! I told you this," Jongup snapped.

"Well, he's in charge of lights. Which reminds me, I need-"

"Hyosung already checked on the lights and the rest of the actors. Daehyun wants to see you, though," Jongup said.

"Now? We have five minutes before show," Himchan argued, checking his watch.

"He said it was urgent. Said that if you don't see him, he won't perform," Jongup explained, setting the fake flowers back on the scene floor.

Himchan groaned, but did so anyway. He left the scene area and walked towards the back area where Daehyun was. He opened the door and saw Daehyun wearing his princely outfit. He saw the younger plenty of times in his costume, yet it still takes his breath away.

"You wanted to see me?" Himchan asked him.

Daehyun looked up and smiled brightly. He walked up to him, grabbed his black shirt, and kissed him hard. Himchan was a bit thrown off, but kissed him back all the same. It was something the two did before Daehyun went on stage. Himchan didn't mind at all.

The two boke the kiss for some air. Himchan's watch beeped and he ushered Daehyun towards the 'door' of the scene prop.

"Show time, everyone! We're on in a few minutes," Himchan announced.

He looked out through the curtains and saw a rather full house. He heard the music beginning to play and stood next to Hyosung, looking at the script along with her.

"Daehyun ready?" Hyosung asked, covering the mic from her headset.

"Yep. Places everyone," Himchan ordered into his own headset.

The music began to play and the curtains began to open. Himchan could hear Yongguk's voice over the speakers. (It was the director's choice. They commented that his voice was more powerful to use.) Himchan sees Daehyun coming out of the fake door, looking disgusted by the actress playing the witch. The lights turned black and Himchan could hear the sparkly music, getting into the first musical number. The scene changed and Jieun, who's playing Belle, was singing and smiling happily. The lights shown brightly to reveal not only the scene, but the extras as well.

Himchan was startled a little bit when he heard the gun shot. He heard Hyosung laughing next to him.

"If you weren't so focused on Daehyun earlier, you should've expected it," she silently told him.

"Oh blah blah blah. It caught me off guard is all," Himchan told her.

The play kept going. Gaston made his appearance and Himchan still despised the character. He's proud of the actor playing him. He always thought Gaston was rather slimy and creepy. He hoped the wig would stay on the actor's head this time.

When the musical number ended, everybody began to clap. Himchan stared at the script and followed the lines that the actors were speaking. He looked at the audience and saw them looking amused and interested. He mostly zoned out through most of the play, taking into consideration of the scene changes that Jongup and his team did in such a short amount of time. The costumes worked really well, so he's have to congratulate Hana and her team once he sees her. The lights were a bit dim, so he'd have to comment on that to Yongguk's team.

He then heard Daehyun's voice, very angry and booming. He was surprised that Daehyun could even produce such a voice. Daehyun's make-up artist did a rather fantastic job to make him into the beast.

The play ended a lot quicker than Himchan expected. He must've zoned out. He remembered the fight scene with the wolves, the scene where the Beast shows Belle his library, where the Beast lets Belle go, and the second fight scene.

The curtain closes on the actors and everybody went backstage, congratulating themselves on a job well done on opening night.

"Congratulations, everybody! The play went off on a hit! Now let's see if we can do the same thing for the next two weeks," Himchan announced.

"Well do better than ever every time! We won't let you down bossman!" one of the actors told him.

"And bosswoman," another commented.

"Yes. There were some shaky scenes, but other than that, it was marvelous! Jieun, remember to show a look of disgust when Gaston forces to 'kiss you', and try not to flinch when Gaston almost hits you," Hyosung pointed out.

Jieun only saluted her.

After the comments, everybody soon left the stage and made their way towards the changing rooms to change out of their costumes. Himchan was about to leave, until he felt someone stop him. He turned around and saw Daehyun smiling up at him.

"I believe you owe me a date," Daehyun told him.

"You don't owe me anything. What did I do?" Himchan questioned.

"We made a bet, remember? You said that if the show goes really well, we can go on a date," Daehyun told him.

Himchan feels like Daehyun is bullshitting him right now.

"I didn't agree to anything," Himchan said.

"Well, I already made reservations, so it's too late to back out now. Come on! Please?" Daehyun begged, giving him a small pout.

Himchan hates Daehyun at this point.

"Fine. Get changed and don't be late," Himchan told him.

Daehyun smiled widely and skipped off to get changed. He sighed to himself and began to put his things away. It wouldn't do good if he brought his equipment with him on a date.


	20. See the Magic Reflect Off Your Face

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Week 20: Free For All

Jongup walked into the great hall, with Junhong following right behind him. The two sat at the Gryffindor table and grabbed as many breakfast food as they possibly could.

"Calm down, you two. Merlin, it's like you'd think the food will disappear," they heard Youngjae warn.

"We want to get as much food before Daehyun arrives. He usually eats all of my food before I can eat," Junhong explained.

Youngjae said nothing and sat next to Jongup. The two were in the same house together. Ravenclaw. Youngjae still, to this day, believes that Jongup belongs in Gryffindor or Hufflepuff. Jongup usually says nothing and will continue on their way. The three were almost finished with their breakfast when Daehyun arrives, holding onto his own schedule.

"Himchan would not shut up about his beauty routine. It's not my fault his stupid cat ate his face cream," Daehyun complained, steaking a piece of bacon from Youngjae's plate.

"Speaking of, here he comes," Junhong pointed out.

Jongup looked up from his breakfast and saw Himchan wearing his Slytherin robes, his hair usually styled nicely, with his hair up. Behind him was Yongguk, wearing his Hufflepuff robes and a large badge that read 'Head Boy' on his chest and a rather tired expression wearing on his face.

"Greetings, children! And Daehyun," Himchan greeted, sitting down.

Jongup was given his class schedule and stared at the parchment in front of him.

"What's your first class?" Junhong asked, looking at Jongup's schedule.

"Charms. After that is Transfigurations and then Potions. What's yours?" Jongup asked.

"A little similar. Instead of Charms, however, I have Care of Magical Creatures. Oh, ew! I have Divination. I requested that I don't have this class. Hang on," Junhong answered.

Junhong got up from the table and tried to find the head of his house. Jongup looked through his schedule and was quite pleased with what he has.

"What about you, Youngjae? What's your schedule like?" Jongup asked him.

"Muggle Studies, Potions, Transfigurations, Defense Against the Dark Arts, and Arithmancy," Youngjae answered, sipping his pumpkin juice.

"What happened to Charms? I thought you'd be a shoe in for that," Daehyun asked.

"I requested my head of house to not. It's not my favorite subject and I can do without. He agreed and didn't put it on my timecard. I had to drop a lot of classes," Youngjae answered.

"What about you, Daehyun? What's your schedule like?" Jongup asked.

"Same as us. Four classes per day. Potions, Defense Against the Dark Arts, and Herbology. The only difference is what other subject we wish to learn," Himchan answered before Daehyun could.

"I'm taking Ancient Runes, Himchan is taking Muggle Music, and Yongguk is taking Astronomy with the sixth years," Daehyun explained.

"It's not that bad studying the stars with the sixth years. Jongup and Junhong are sixth years," Yongguk said.

"And Youngjae," Youngjae cut in.

"Oh, I'm taking Astronomy, too. Maybe we'll see each other tonight," Jongup said.

"Hey, at least you know someone there," Daehyun said.

Jongup looked at his watch and saw that he was going to be late for his first class. He waved goodbye to his friends and made his way towards his Charms class.

\-----

Jongup entered his Potions class and sat next to Junhong. He looked rather satisfied.

"You got your schedule fixed?" Jongup asked him.

"Yeah. Turns out my head of house got my requests mixed up with another student. Divination is not on my schedule anymore. Instead, I got Transfigurations, which I wanted," Junhong answered.

"Bet you were happy about that," Jongup muttered.

Before Junhong could make a comment, their professor walked into the classroom and set her things on top of the table.

"Good afternoon, children! Or adults, as I should say. Now, to start, we're going to go over some potions. Now, I have brewed a couple of potions this morning that are in front of you. Can any of you guess what these might be?" their professor asked him.

He saw a hand go up immediately. He didn't recognize the Hufflepuff very well. The professor pointed to her and smiled widely.

"That's veritaserum, also known as a truth telling serum. And the one next to it is calming drought, which calms the person from shock or trauma. And the last one is amortentia. It's the most powerful love potion in the world. The scent is rumored to smell differently to each person according to what attracts them. For example, I smell old leather, fresh grass, and…"

The Hufflepuff girl blushed furiously and took a step back. The professor still seemed a bit pleased.

"Excellent, well done! Ten points to Hufflepuff! Now, amortentia doesn't create actual love. That would be impossible. But it does cause a powerful infatuation or obsession. And for that reason, it is probably the most dangerous potion in this room," their professor explained.

Jongup stared at the potion in question. He began to smell rather old books, freshly brewed hazelnut coffee, and wet cement from fresh rain. He sighed to himself and saw their professor closing the lid. Many of the students looked shaken from their daze. Their professor smiled softly.

"Now, today's potion will require all of your focus," she said.

Jongup got his stuff out and began to get started.

\-----

Lunch time is Jongup's favorite time. He liked the small sandwiches that they had and the other variety of drinks that they serve. He sat down at the Ravenclaw table and began to take his share of food that the table offered.

"Oh hey, do you have a break?"  he heard Himchan ask.

"Yep. At least one of the breaks I get. Besides, my next class doesn't happen until night time. Astronomy class is gonna be fun," Jongup explained.

Suddenly, he began to smell something oddly familiar. He smelled the old books, hazelnut coffee, and wet cement. He turned his head and saw Yongguk walking up to them. He felt his heart freeze up and turned his head back to his lunch.

"I didn't expect to see you here so early," Himchan pointed out.

"What? This is the time I get off from my class. I told you this," Yongguk answered.

Jongup never heard Yongguk's voice sound so silky and deep. What's going on with him? Was it the amortentia? Did he inhale too much that his mind is starting to turn foggy?

"Hey Jongup, you okay?" he heard Yongguk ask.

"Fine," Jongup answered, hearing his voice crack. Where the he'll did that come from?

"Oh, you had potions earlier, didn't you? How did that go?" Himchan asked him.

"It went okay. The professor did some sort of experiment in the beginning of class. It was a bit weird, but interesting," Jongup answered.

"Did she do the amortentia thing? She does that every year. She's like this whole believer of love, but I think it's bullshit," Himchan said.

Jongup felt his cheeks turning red.

"You're just pissed because you smelled candy apples and you know Daehyun is a huge fan of them. Why don't you just admit it and say that you like him?" Yongguk pointed out.

"Because he's a little shit! Besides, it's not like you have nothing to hide, what with your scent being-"

"Oh hey, look at the time! I need to leave to talk to my head of house about try outs for our upcoming Quidditch match. See ya," Yongguk said, cutting off Himchan.

Jongup saw Yongguk leaving and it felt like his heart feeling a bit empty. Since when did these feelings come into play?

"Hello all! I see Jongup as been drinking soda again," Youngjae points out, sitting next to Jongup while staring up at Himchan.

"Nothing much. Hey, did you do the amortentia experiment? What did you think of it?" Himchan asked Youngjae.

"It's an experiment I like. I think her explanation is quite clear. The scent we smell from the potion are feelings we already have. It just helps realize who we truly like. The scents help to understand what we find desirable," Youngjae explained.

"So feelings that are already there?" Himchan guessed.

"Exactly! It's not that hard to figure out," Youngjae answered.

Feelings that were already there? Jongup had to think about that one for a bit. He looked at his watch and decided to finish up some homework before Astronomy class. He got up from his seat, took his lunch, and began to make his way towards the Ravenclaw tower.

\-----

Astronomy was mostly more to get familiar with the stars again. He was partnered up with Yongguk and honestly, it made his heart beat wildly. He calmed himself down, of course, but it still didn't make it any better. He thought his heart was going to burst.

It wasn't until the day before the big Hufflepuff versus Gryffindor Quidditch match that he finally broke down to Junhong about his rather pinning crush on Yongguk.

"I mean, he's so goddamned perfect, with being head boy and the captain of the Hufflepuff team! It's not fair!" Jongup moaned out, hitting his head against the table.

Junhong looked rather unamused. He looked like he was ready to slap Jongup a bit.

"Why don't you tell him how you feel?" Junhong asked him.

Jongup picked his head up and glared.

"Yes, I shall do that. In the meantime, you can follow your own advice and ask Youngjae out," Jongup answered sarcastically.

Junhong practically said nothing and glared back at him.

Jongup sighed to himself and knew that conversing with Junhong about this was hopeless. He should just crawl into a hole and die.

The next day was the big game. The first game, to be exact. Jongup and Junhong were sitting next to each other. Junhong, being the fiercely loyal Gryffindor that he is, dressed in all red and even wore face paint. Jongup, because he is trying not to show favoritism (no matter how much he's in love with Yongguk), dressed in his usual Ravenclaw attire, but with a Gryffindor tie (courtesy of Junhong). Himchan and Daehyun were sitting besides him, with Youngjae reading a book and wearing earmuffs to block out the sound.

"You're not fun, you know that," Daehyun told him.

Youngjae pretty much ignored him. Jongup focused his attention towards the game and saw the three chasers already in motion. He saw Yongguk carrying the quaffle over towards the Gryffindor goal, passing it along to his fellow chasers and scoring a goal. Now Jongup had to make sure that his attention is focused on the game, and not on how cute Yongguk's but is.

\-----

Jongup failed at watching the game, but he knew that the Gryffindors won, despite the Hufflepuff's fierce competitive nature. Jongup passed by the Hufflepuff changing room (why he was going there, he had no idea), when he saw Yongguk coming out wearing his muggle clothes that he brought from home.

"Jongup? What are you doing here? Shouldn't you be at the Gryffindor tower celebrating?" Yongguk asked.

"I didn't feel like it. Besides, they're all the same either way. Where is the rest of your team?" Jongup asked.

"They went to the party. They played a close game anyway, so they thought they deserved it," he answered.

The two began to walk slowly. Where, they had no idea. The air around them was soothing, Jongup thinks. It didn't feel a bit awkward.

Okay it did a bit.

"Hey, Jongup?" Yongguk asked.

Jongup looked up and stared at him.

"This… this may sound weird but… do you remember that time you had those sour lemon drops that Junhong dared you to take?" Yongguk asked, a bit of a red tinge on his cheeks.

Jongup vaguely remembered. It was during his third year and the third years were just going to Hogsmead that year. The older kids went, of course, and Jongup remembered going to Honeydukes to get some candy. Jongup accidentally bought sour lemon drops instead of the regular ones. Yongguk offered him to buy another bag and that he would take the sour ones. Junhong however, dared Jongup to taste one anyway, which he did.

He never tasted anything so sour in his life, so he spit the candy out and never bought anything sour again.

"A bit. Why?" Jongup asked him.

"Well, in my sixth year, while we were doing our potions class, that was one of the scents I had. I also had the smell of lavender and fresh paint," Yongguk admitted.

Jongup froze. He felt his palms sweating again. Was this…?

"Are you… are you confessing to me?" Jongup asked, feeling his cheeks burning.

"I'm… It's more like asking on a date, but really awkward and a bit embarrassing. Himchan thought it would be a good idea to-"

Jongup, hesitantly but quickly, pecked Yongguk's cheek and smiled softly at him.

"I'd love to go. Send me an owl on the details!" Jongup called out, practically skipping towards the Ravenclaw tower.

Yongguk, however, stood in the middle of the hallway, watching as Jongup disappeared towards the staircases. He reached his hand towards his cheek and smiled to himself.

Now he just needs to figure out the details to their date.


	21. Extraterrestrial

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Week 21: A story set on another planet.

Jupiter has always been a planet that made Youngjae curious about the world. Well, it was the entire solar system, yet the giant planet interested him more than Mars or Pluto. (Pluto is up there.) When he was growing up, he stated that he wanted to be the first person on Earth to step foot on the planet.

Everybody made fun of him, so he decided on a new dream.

He decided that he was going to uncover all the secrets of the planet, Jupiter.

"You've been obsessed with this planet that it's not healthy," Jaebum told him one time in their senior year in college.

"Well someone has to. And besides, isn't that what dreams are made of? I'm getting an internship to study with the astronomers about different planets. At the end of the internship, I get assigned the planet that I may have chosen!" Youngjae said excitedly.

"That's great and everything, but you still need to explore the world a bit, you know. I mean, you have never stepped foot in the forest since you've been here. Aren't you curious about the forest?" Jaebum asked him.

It was true that Youngjae was a little bit curious. However, from the stories he heard from the other students around campus, it wasn't much. But still!

As the night fell and Jaebum was fast asleep, Youngjae quietly tiptoed away from the dorm room and began to make his way towards the forest. Now he's just curious about what is in the forest. He stepped into the vast expansion of the trees and continued walking. All around him were mostly trees, which is what Youngjae sort of expected. He continued to go deeper. He saw different marks. He looked closely at the marks and saw fraternities and sororities names on the marks to indicate that they've been there.

He shook his head and kept going. He saw the last mark and knew that he ventured further than anybody else.

And he understood why.

The forest during the day was alright. There was still light shedding through the leaves. In the night, however, was a different story.

As Youngjae walked deeper, he began to see the trees grow taller. What he thought he saw was a bunny was actually three times larger than an average forest funny. He shook his head and kept walking. It was nothing to be afraid of. It meant nothing.

He stopped in his tracks when he saw a rather large deer the size of a whale slowly walking by, its antlers glowing a florescent blue and its eyes a darker shade of green. Youngjae gaped at the magnificent creature that laid before him.

He realized he may be a bit high or sleep deprived.

"Who are you?" a voice asked.

Youngjae turned his head to try to find the voice, but there was no one there.

"Up here, moron!" he heard the voice again.

He looked up at the trees and saw a rather tall boy with pale skin and dark brown hair. His ears were pointed and covered in precious jewels and gems. He floated down from the tree and stood his ground. Youngjae saw tattooed wings on his shoulders and realized that they were real.

"I said who are you?" the boy asked again.

"Me? I- I'm Youngjae. Look, there's a huge misunderstanding-"

"Yongguk won't like the fact that a mere mortal was able to walk in here all willy nilly. You best come with me," the boy said.

The wings from his skin emerged out of his back and they were actually a lot bigger than Youngjae realized. The boy flew up and began to fly away, making Youngjae follow right behind him.

"Hey, wait up! I can't fly!" Youngjae called out.

The boy ignored him and kept flying. Youngjae continued to quicken his pace to follow him. The forest was getting scarier and scarier as Youngjae continued to delve deeper inside. He stopped when the boy finally stopped, which made Youngjae pant for breath. He realized that the air was shortening and it was getting a little harder to breath.

"That's right, you're a mortal. Come, the air should be better at the kingdom," the boy told him.

The boy began to lead Youngjae towards... somewhere. Youngjae wasn't really sure. When they stepped out of the forest, everything was alive and vibrant. The sun was shining through the forest, which Youngjae was confused about. He looked at his watch and saw time stopping. Something wasn't right.

"This is where I live. The others are having a party for the wedding of our top general and his husband. And we're just in time! They're about to put on their rings!" the boy said excitedly.

The boy grabbed Youngjae's hand and led him through the crowd. He broke through the crowd to get towards the front, something the others didn't seem to mind. Youngjae saw a rather tanned man smiling happily at another man with fox-like features and pale skin. The tanned man grabbed a white jewel and placed it on the other man's pointed ear. The other man did the same on the same ear. Youngjae hissed a bit when the piercing broke through skin.

"It's very sacred for our kind. We propose using one of our own jewels on one ear, which is the right. Then, we exchange jewels to our left. The position we chose to place them is mostly up to us," the boy explained.

"Who... who are you? And where am I?" Youngjae asked him.

"Oh! Silly me, I forgot! My name is Junhong. Pleasure to meet you. And you are?" Junhong asked him.

"Uh... Youngjae. Now, where am I?" Youngjae demanded.

Before Junhong could open his mouth, a great booming voice was heard. Everybody scattered, leaving the two newlyweds and Junhong in the middle of the town. The two people looked rather annoyed than anything.

"You couldn't have given us one day?" the pale man asked.

"My baby brother was gone for less than three weeks. I'm sorry that your wedding ceremony has been cut short," a man explained, not even looking sorry.

The man, Youngjae realized, was a lot taller than him and it surely frightened him. Behind him was a man with forest green wings floating nearby, writing something important on a clipboard.

"And what, may I ask, did you bring this time?" the man asked.

"Hi Yongguk, nice to meet you. Did I mention that I wasn't missing and that I was exploring? I know my way around the woods, you know," Junhong explained, placing his hands on his hips.

The man merely rolled his eyes.

"Gee, thanks brat. Now tell me why you brought in a mere mortal into our village?" Yongguk asked.

"He walked through your defense thingy and here he is! Pretty cool, huh?" Junhong asked, smiling widely.

Yongguk, however, was not amused. Neither were the other three people behind Yongguk.

"He shouldn't really be here. How he got here is pretty much impossible. We created those defense mechanisms to make sure that humans like him don't walk into our village," the man with the green wings explained.

"Well, yeah! That's why it's so cool! Just imagine the possibilities of what would happen if other humans came in! We could help the other humans cure their own planet if we wish," Junhong explained.

"And what, risk damaging our own? Junhong, there are other villages out there that's not just our own. We can't risk having mortals on our planet," the pale man said.

"Which reminds me, where am I and how do I get home?" Youngjae interrupted.

The five stopped arguing and turned to stare at Youngjae in question.

"Well, mortal, you're on the planet Jupiter. How to get you home, even I'm not sure. Many of our kind usually doesn't associate with your planet, so we have no way of getting you home," Yongguk explained.

Jupiter? The planet he's been dreaming of coming to since he learned about the solar system? There's no way he got here. The planet has dense oxygen and scientists even said that it would be impossible to have life forms on planet Jupiter.

"Oh look, you broke him," Junhong's voice said, snapping him out of his thoughts.

"Well, can't I just go back the same way I came in?" Youngjae asked.

"You could try, but it usually ends up being in a different village all together. We created the defense field for a reason; to keep humans like you out of our planet," the one with the green wings explained. He settled down next to Yongguk and continued taking notes.

"Relax, Jongup. He seems harmless. Especially if Junhong brought the kid in like a new pet," Yongguk said.

Jongup only huffed and continued writing.

"This is Youngjae! The human I have decided to adopt as a pet," Junhong introduced.

"Excuse me?" Youngjae questioned, a bit offended.

"You're not keeping him as a pet. He has a home to go to," Yongguk argued.

Youngjae watched the two bicker. Jongup looked bored, while the other two looked unimpressed.

"I'm Daehyun. This is my partner Himchan. We're what you people will call faeries," Daehyun introduced.

Youngjae saw dark gray tattooed wings along Daehyun's shoulders, while Himchan had bright pink wings resting on his own shoulders. The gems along Daehyun's ears looked like diamonds, with two pink gems that hung on the top of his ears. The same with Himchan, except in reverse.

"But… faeries are a myth. They don't exist," Youngjae told them.

"Oh, they are. We created those myths," Himchan explained.

"That's why people rarely go into rather dense forests," Daehyun finished.

Youngjae had so many questions about the myths and the planet itself, but the three were interrupted but Yongguk and Junhong walking up to them to determine Youngjae's fate.

"Every year, there's an opening between your planet and our planet, Jupiter. You just happened to stumble upon it. We don't know the effects and we certainly don't know how many days will pass until you get home. Until then, you may reside with us as Junhong's… friend. Not _pet_ ," Yongguk explained.

"The day that it syncs up will be one year and several odd minutes," Jongup explained, staring at them.

"Yes, well Jongup will be your personal calendar until then. He'll remind us about the time the event will occur," Yongguk said.

Youngjae looked around and saw many people coming out of their hiding spot. Apparently they were more afraid of Youngjae than he thought.

"Come on! We have so much stuff to do before the year comes," Junhong said excitedly, grabbing Youngjae's hand and leading him towards what he believed to be a palace.

\-----

Several months have passed and Youngjae is starting to understand the way that the people of Jupiter are starting to live. The people around him are rather fascinating and exciting. The children grew without wings, until they venture into the forest where they would find their forever gem, Youngjae realized. Jongup became Youngjae's giant encyclopedia that he began to understand everything. He found out that Jongup is a somewhat secretary to the leader of the village, who happened to be Yongguk.

Junhong became his friend rather quickly. The two got on well with one another, asking about their own planet. Junhong was rather curious about planet earth and always wanted to visit the green planet, but never found the right opportunity nor was able to go at the right time of the event. Usually a select few got to go and would return within a year to give out data, but most of it was boring to Junhong's eyes.

"There's a ritual where one burns a sweet on a name day and then chants some words that sound horrifying. Is that true?" Junhong asked.

"Kind of? I mean, we bake this dessert called a cake, place this wax called a candle, and then we light it. After that, we sing a song called happy birthday to celebrate their coming of age. Usually the cake comes in different colors," Youngjae explained.

Youngjae likes Junhong. A lot. He was interesting to talk to. Especially when he talked about Junhong's own planet and customs.

"How do you find the gems on Jupiter anyway? It looks difficult," Youngjae asked.

"Not really. It depends on the child. Each child is set into the forest every few months. The more common places that gems are found are up in trees or in flowers. Most find their gems in the lakes," Junhong answered.

During those months, Youngjae stumbled upon a yellow gem, and then found hundreds more along the way.

"You're slowly being welcomes into our culture is all. Sooner or later, you'll never want to leave," Jongup explained, writing something down.

"What are you always writing?" Youngjae finally asked.

"Notes for Yongguk. He sometimes forgets that he has to do certain errands as king of the village, so it's my job to remind him," he answered, setting the piece of paper flying towards the palace.

Youngjae didn't make a remark after that. Junhong mostly states that Jongup is so in love with Yongguk that he's practically courting him through notes.

"Oh, you have yellow gems! That means you are soon to be of marital age," Junhong pointed out.

After shaping the gems into earrings, he asked Junhong for help.

"Are you sure about that?" Junhong asked him.

"Look, I don't want one earlobe to be bleeding, is that alright with you?" Youngjae commented.

Junhong said nothing and used his own earring to help him out. After a couple of tries of getting the earring through, Youngjae was successful into getting both earrings in both ears. And without making it bleed.

"One of your ears are bleeding," Jongup pointed out.

Well, he was close.

\-----

As the months began to draw closer to the 'event', Youngjae was starting to feel nervous. He really couldn't take his experience with him unless he wants to sound insane. He decided to take the events that have happened to himself. Throughout the months, however, he began to grow fond of Junhong. (Despite the fact that he wants to keep Youngjae as a pet than a friend.)

"You're quiet today," Junhong commented.

Today was an event Youngjae never thought he would witness. It was a wedding ceremony that the faeries held for their own people. This one, however, was more special. It was royalty that was being married. Yongguk was marrying his secretary, which wasn't a surprise to anyone. During these events, Youngjae was thinking about how he would want one of these instead of the ones on earth.

It was then he realized that he wanted to stay, but he can't.

"I'm just thinking is all," Youngjae answered.

Junhong hummed in response, but said nothing. The celebration as happening and he didn't want to spoil his big brother's big day. However, he was so curious as to why Youngjae was so silent.

"Hey, the day where the two worlds open is coming up. I'm sure you're excited on going back home," Junhong said.

Youngjae's heart squeezed a little. He wanted to stay, he really does, but he misses his friends. He misses his siblings and his parents. He wants to go back to his own planet, but he wants to stay on Jupiter, too.

"Can I talk to you about something?" Junhong asked when the other became too silent.

Youngjae looked up and nodded his head. Junhong stood up and allowed Youngjae to follow right behind him. Youngjae did so and followed right behind Junhong. Junhong walked towards one of the houses that's mostly used for medical uses. Junhong sat on one of the chairs and looked around. Youngjae was waiting for what Junhong wanted.

"I know you don't want to leave this planet," Junhong said.

Youngjae took a deep breath and stared at the ground.

"I don't, but I have to. I miss home. I'm about to discover more about this planet! Maybe even other planets, too. I want to make a difference to my own planet, but I want to stay so badly. I want to stay because…"

Youngjae didn't know what to say after that. He really couldn't say 'because of you' now, could he? It was becoming a bit difficult.

He looked up and saw Junhong taking a piece of his earring from his own ear and offered it to Youngjae.

"What are you doing?" Youngjae asked him.

"A parting gift. For if we ever do decide to see each other again," Junhong explained.

"But… this is an engagement," Youngjae said.

He saw Junhong smiling. Then, without warning, Junhong placed his lips on Youngjae's mouth. The kiss was soft and tasted like the wild berries that Junhong was munching on earlier. The kiss was short, yet Youngjae could still taste it on his tongue. Youngjae took one of his own earrings from his ears and offered it to Junhong. He gladly accepted the yellow jewel and smiled.

"Our parting will be bittersweet, but at least I have something to remember you by," Youngjae said.

Junhong said nothing as he put the yellow jewel into his pointed ear. Youngjae placed the blue earring in his own ear. At least he would have his memories.

\-----

Today was the day. He was going to leave, along with the other faeries. Junhong wasn't among them, as he was deemed royalty. In other words, Yongguk refused to let him go. Youngjae didn't mind. Even if the farewell was now bittersweet.

"You'll remember me, right?" Junhong asked him, on the verge of crying.

"How could I forget a weirdo like you?" Youngjae asked, kissing his cheek softly.

Youngjae followed the other faeries and continued walking through the dense forest. Before Youngjae knew it, he saw the forest beginning to be less dense. He could finally breath the fresh air that the trees gave off. He saw marks from the fraternities and sororities, but it looked rather new. He continued walking out of the forest and saw the faeries disappearing. He ignored them and kept walking. He emerged out of the forest and saw the college students playing around with a soccer ball. He walked through the field and saw them stopping.

Apparently, he was gone a lot longer than he hoped.

Since the college saw that he pretty much completed his classes, they decided he would graduate rather earlier than he imagined. He still took his internship with the astronomers. His parents were relieved that their son wasn't dead or missing. When they asked about what happened to him (and the jewelry that he managed to keep), all he said was that he accidentally joined a gang and forgot to come home.

The believed him.

As the years grew on, Youngjae still remembered the strange faery boy, and wondered what he was doing up in Jupiter. He was older now, with graying hair laughing lines. He still kept the yellow and one single blue earing in his ear, even if he gets poked fun at.

Youngjae discovered more about the planet Jupiter than anybody did in the years it took to discover it. Well, Youngjae had a bit of help.

"Youngjae, I would like to introduce your new assistant," the head boss introduced.

Youngjae looked up and saw Junhong standing behind him nervously, smiling brightly at him.

He had so much to tell.


	22. Say Your Prayer

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Week 22: A story written from the perspective of someone dead/undead

Here is a bit of a spoiler for some of you who are reading this: you are going to die. Crazy, I know. I didn't think I would die either. I thought I would live forever, with a lover and a handful of children. However, I died too young, from an illness that was incurable. Now, there are studies on said illness that could've been useful.

Instead of meeting someone at the pearly gates or living in a sauna underground, I live in the plane of existence, between the living and the dead. In other words, I'm a ghost trapped in my childhood home.

The house I'm forced to live in has been demolished several times throughout the centuries. After a while, I stopped being pissed and decided to embrace it. Now the house looks rather modern. I help out several families to make sure that their children survives (since they're too focused on their electronics to focus on their own children). The house goes for sale, I watch several people coming and going. Not many people are interested in a haunted house. I try to come off as a friendly ghost, but people are too superstitious to care.

After several weeks, the family gets a buyer. College students, they say. They seemed a bit worried, but after a week later, they left the house without a care.

After several weeks of being lonely, a new group walks in. They looked rather strange. It must be the new style, but I didn't really like it.

There were five males that decided to live in this house. One didn't seem to like it, but settled with it anyway. The five divided up the three rooms and settled quite loudly. They moved in objects into the house and lazily placing them where they want them to be. I sat in one of the ratty couches and stared at the, learning their faces and trying to listen in to hear their names.

"I'm making chocolate milk. Does anybody want one?" one of the shorter males asked.

The taller one accepts. Another claims that they will ruin their appetite. I watched in amusement as the three bickered with one another. The other two, however, watching in annoyance and boredom like this happens constantly. The argument finally quieted down after one of the older males told them to be quiet. He wasn't as tall as the second one, but he looked older and seemed like someone that others will listen to. His voice was deep and baritone-like. It reminded me of the cavemen some of the kids would watch on their television set. I also got two names out of the; Jongup and Youngjae. I thought I heard a third name, but I accidentally looked at the second man and froze.

He has sharp features, with styled dark brown hair and eyeliner under his eyes. Is clothing looked rather comfy and warm, yet it clung to his body that made me think impure thoughts. Apparently, my emotions got a bit out of control that the television flickered on. The house was silent and walked over towards where the television was.

"Now look what you did! You made the ghost angry," the older man declared.

Wait, they know I exist? They know that I'm around? Hardly anybody realizes my existence until a few years of living in this house. I took a look at the people around me and saw that they're not people at all.

They, too, are part of the supernatural world.

I realized this with Youngjae. He was rather pale and eyes looking sharp. His teeth looked too big for his mouth. He was either a vampire or a werewolf.

"He hasn't made himself known yet. Maybe he's just overwhelmed by our personalities," the tall one suggested, taking a sip of his chocolate milk.

I never mastered making myself known. I did that once, but it quickly tired me out and the reaction I received made me sure that revealing myself would only cause harm. Youngjae looked relaxed, his teeth fitting into his mouth. I grew confused. Jongup looked rather uninterested. I don't blame him.

"Did they say what the ghost's name was?" Youngjae asked, snacking on pretzels.

"Naw. They said that the body is buried in the backyard, though. And no, that is not an invitation for you to go grave digging," the older man said.

The handsome man hardly said anything. I was afraid he was a mute. He stared at the couch instead of the television. It wasn't until I realized that he was staring at me.

\-----

A few days have gone by. The males have made themselves more comfortable. I got around to learning their names. Some of them I figured out what supernatural creatures they were. Youngjae is a vampire. A rather old vampire. He doesn't drink human blood, but he does drink coconut water because he says it holds more iron than blood does and it tastes better anyway. He does, of course, eat human food. Which is good, I guess. Jongup is either a fairy or a nymph. I'm still trying to decide what he is. Junhong, the rather tall male, is undecided. I'm still betting that he's an elf, but his grace is all off so that's out. Yongguk, the older male, was difficult to find out what his supposed creature is and it turns out that he's actually a mythical creature taking form of a human male. He's either that winged lion or one of those three headed creatures. One time I thought he was a dragon because of the wings on his back, but apparently that wasn't the case.

Himchan, the silent one, us a mystery to me, something that I want to discover. Yongguk is usually his interpreter, but other than that he never talks. The others don't seem to mind, though, but I find it hilarious when Himchan throws things at them to get their attention.

I, however, have not made myself know yet. Believe me, I've tried. No matter what I try to do, I can't seem to make myself visible. The others try to coax me, but I most likely destroy things instead.

Not please, actually.

One day, I was able to make myself visible. I don't know how, but I did.

It started off on a usual day. One by one, they all got up and ate whatever food they could find. Yongguk was the last to get up, which I thought was strange because usually Himchan gets up before Yongguk. I floated up the stairs, which is a bit difficult for me because my old home didn't have stairs. As I got up the stairs, I began to look through the rooms to find out where Himchan is. I finally found him, but he looked rather… sad. He was laying on his bed, looking through drawings and pictures. And he looked like he was crying. I walked slowly up to him and I guess he noticed my presence because he looked up and saw where I was standing. I thought he didn't see me, until he pulled out a whiteboard and wrote that he could see me.

"I'm visible?" I asked him.

 _Yes._ he wrote.

I became a little giddy, but I stopped myself.

"Why are you crying?" I asked him.

_It's the anniversary of my curse._

"Curse? What happened? If you don't mind me asking," I asked him.

_Not at all. Sometimes it helps._

Himchan looked hesitant. Finally, he began to write on the board.

_It's better if I showed you._

I was a bit confused. Soon, Himchan stood up and placed his hands on my face. If I was alive, my face would be flushing. He placed his two fingers on my forehead and his other hand on my temple. Suddenly, I'm in the ocean, with other people swimming besides me. It was then I realized that they're mermaids, and that this is Himchan's memories. I could hear an unfamiliar raspy voice, which I also realized that it was Himchan's voice. He was laughing, too. I saw two fragments of his memory. He was so happy. Why as he cursed?

I then saw the reason. Himchan fell in love with a human male. Himchan did everything to get the human to notice him, but his efforts failed. It wasn’t until he met the sea witch. The witch placed a curse on him that he must never sing or speak again until the person Himchan loves must love him in return with true loves kiss. Himchan agreed in a heartbeat. Himchan lost his fin and was forced to live in the human world. When he arrived, he saw the human he fell in love with, but the male was already in love with another.

Himchan tried everything to get the male to notice him, that he was supposed to love him, but his efforts failed. Himchan's heart was broken as he saw the love of his life marrying another. He tried to get back to the ocean, but the witch made it clear that rules were rules, and that he must never return to the ocean until he breaks his own curse.

So for years, Himchan falls in love with different people over the centuries. None of them, however, returned his love. One did, but their love wasn't true love. And Himchan only loved them because it was convenient. Then he met Yongguk, who he thought he was in love with, too, but found out that his heart belonged to another. For some reason, Himchan was relieved by this.

And so was I.

I blinked my eyes and saw that I was back in Himchan's room. Everything seemed to clear and so crisp that I forgot that I was in some memory trip. I looked at Himchan again and saw that he was crying a little bit. I tried to wipe the tear away, but my hand went through his face. I quickly took my hand back.

"So you never found your true love?" I asked him.

Himchan took his whiteboard and began to write on it rather quickly.

_No. I've been searching for years. I feel like Calypso at times. I can fall in love with all these amazing people, yet they would never love me in return. Such a cruel twist of fate, but it's true._

I only hummed. I sat on Himchan's bed and crossed my legs. So much information all in one day.

"Do the others know?" I asked him.

Himchan nodded his head. I wasn't that surprised.

"Hey, can you help me become visible? It's actually quite hard to get it down, even though I've been doing this all my dead life. It's just… no one ever taught me," I said.

Himchan looked hesitant.

_I'm not a ghost, so I don't know how, either. All I can give is to find an anchor. That anchor will be the reason that you turn visible._

I thought about it. That could work. I got up and floated my way down, which is easier than going down all those stairs. I saw that I landed myself in the kitchen and saw everybody eating. A few minutes later, Himchan entered and Junhong was the first to notice me.

"Hey, our resident ghost has appeared," Junhong announced.

I smiled shyly and waved. Yongguk greeted me warmly.

"Welcome to our weird family. You'll love it," he told me.

\-----

As the months grew, I began to know this weird family better. I was right about Jongup a little bit, but he's actually a dryad.             Apparently he finds it insulting to be compared to a nymph. Junhong is the fae. His incoordination is a result of his wings being taken away from him. Yongguk was also casted out of his clan. It seems that these are more like the misfits and Yongguk just happened to have found them all. Still strange, but they make a good family.

I've been getting to know all of them. Their quirks and little mishaps that they would do. Someday, though, I would be invisible for a long time and I get a bit sad because they think I'm angry or sad about something. The only person that seems to know what is going on is Himchan, and he can't really say much on the subject either way. I like him, though. He's a great friend. We mostly talk about our past lives; what he like to do, how old we really are, and I learned that Himchan actually plays musical instruments. I asked him one time if he could play for me, but he was silent so I never asked him to again.

Pretty soon, before I know it, the seasons are changing, and a new year has bestowed us. It was strange, I think. Sometimes I forget the seasons are changing. This is the first time I see the flowers blooming. I think it was around this time that I realized something that I didn't think I would since I'm dead.

I'm in love.

But the thing is I'm not alive. Himchan told me countless times that they have to be alive, or else it won't count. I've been trying to find out what my unfinished deed was, but nothing seemed to be happening.

Until one day…

\-----

"Daehyun," I heard Jongup asking me.

"Hm?" I hummed, staring at the game in concentration.

"You love Himchan, right?" he asked.

I paused. I merely nodded my head and stared at my fingers.

"He loves you, too, you know. Maybe this will break the curse he has," Jongup said.

"It's not that simple. The person he must fall in love with must be alive, not dead. I'm merely a ghost of someone who died centuries ago. If I figure out my unfinished deed, I can be able to go to heaven, and maybe be reborn," I said, moving a piece from the game.

"But what if it doesn't happen? I mean, we're all outcasts, you know. Maybe the curse will make an exception," Jongup said, staring at the move I made.

I thought about that. After the game was over and Jongup claimed victory, I walked up to Himchan's room and saw him playing around with a tablet. He looked up and saw me standing in his room.

"Hey. How are you?" I asked him.

I suddenly feel embarrassed.

He took out his whiteboard again and began to write.

_I'm doing alright. What about you?_

"Probably the same. Hey, does your curse make an exception on the dead?" I asked.

Well, that was blunt of me. I felt my cheeks turning red, but I think it was my imagination.

_I don't know. I've never tried it. Why?_

Well this is going to be embarrassing for me. I stepped forward and held Himchan's hand, something that I'm still trying to work.

"I think… I think I'm in love with you," I whispered, hoping that Himchan would either ignore it since he doesn't return those feelings, or would hear me and kiss me.

The latter happened.

Himchan kissed me and I felt something warm. The kiss felt… nothing. I only felt warm. I pulled away and looked at Himchan in the eyes.

"Did it work?" I asked.

Himchan opened his mouth in order to speak, but nothing happened. Himchan looked rather heartbroken. I sighed, but I saw something different in the room. I turned my head and saw a door. I felt drawn to the door. I began to walk towards it, but I felt Himchan grabbing my arm. I looked at him and frowned.

"I can ask for a rebirth. I can! I will find you. If not, you can find me. Tell the others that I'm sorry," I told him.

I became transparent and walked towards the door. I opened it and stepped forward, feeling warm and the light blinding.

\-----

Himchan stared at the cold tea on the table. He felt so lonely and strange. He looked up and saw Yongguk, smiling sadly. Himchan already knows the answer before Yongguk would give it to him.

"We tried, Himchan. He could still be around, but it may be years before we could find him," Yongguk said.

Himchan felt defeated. It's been decades since Daehyun walked through the door. He thought that Daehyun would've been rebirthed by now.

His snapped out of his thoughts when he heard the doorbell ring.

"I got it!" he heard Youngjae call out.

Himchan got up to see who was at the door. He froze when he saw Daehyun standing by the door. He looked more alive, with tanned skin and beauty marks decorating his body. Himchan walked up to him and touched his face gently.

"Hi, Himchan," Daehyun greeted, smiling widely.

Himchan didn't even blink before he kissed Daehyun on the mouth. He felt Daehyun's body freezing, but relaxing and kissing him back. Himchan felt his body warm up and his throat burning up. He broke the kiss and smiling at Daehyun.

"I love you," Himchan croaked out.

Daehyun smiled so wide that he thought his face would break. Himchan looked at his own body and saw that his fin didn't grow yet. Maybe it will later.

It was discovered that his fin only comes back with water.


	23. Home Is When I'm Alone With You

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Week 23: A story about a birthday.

Youngjae's birthday was coming up. Junhong didn't really know what to get his boyfriend this year. He got everything he wanted for Christmas, and he surely doesn't need anything right now. He tried everything, from shopping to hand making something. (That was the last time he tried Pinterest.) He got so desperate that he asked Jongup for help, and even _his_ ideas weren't that great.

"I just say give him a birthday blowjob and see where that leads you," Jongup answered.

Junhong only groaned into his hands and silently prayed for lightening to strike down on him. That way he won’t have to face the humiliation when he shows up to Youngjae’s birthday party empty handed. He did that once and it resulted in Youngjae throwing his cake (at least his piece) in Junhong’s face.

He then tried to get the opinions from his own friends and even that wasn’t helpful.

Himchan suggested getting him a mixed cd since it was “romantic”, but he knows Youngjae and Youngjae is not one for cheap, cheesy gifts. He then went to Yongguk and asked for his opinion and he suggested writing him a love song. Junhong thought it was a great idea, until he sat down and tried to write the damn song. It took him three days before he decided to give up. He didn’t have enough time for inspiration to hit him in the face to give to Youngjae. He asked Daehyun, Youngjae’s best friend and Daehyun suggested baking him some sweets. Junhong had to remind him that Youngjae is on a diet and in no way to eat sweets. Which is the reason why there wasn’t going to be a cake at the party because Youngjae has refused it.

Junhong was fucked.

He scouted the Internet to find some sort of idea to give to Youngjae. What do you get someone that has everything?

“Junhong? What are you doing?” he heard Youngjae ask him.

Junhong jumped and quickly exited out of the tab.

“Just finding something to buy myself is all,” Junhong answered.

He heard Youngjae humming softly. Junhong looked up and saw Youngjae studying the computer screen. He then moved from his spot behind Junhong and sat on the younger sister lap. Junhong felt his heart beating against his chest. Even after all of these years, Youngjae can still make his heart beating like no other. They've been dating for about five years, yet his friends joke that it seems that they've been dating for an eternity for how close they are, and how much they bicker at each other makes them seem like a married couple.

And then it hit him. He knows what he'll get for Youngjae's birthday. They've been talking about it a couple of months ago, so what better way to do it than to get him that?

He looked down at Youngjae and saw the older sleeping on his chest. He smiled softly and began to think of ways to find his gift.

\-----

Junhong found Youngjae a gift about a day before Youngjae's party. He carefully placed the small box inside his drawer and began to pace to himself in his room. He stared at the drawer, trying to come up with ways to go about this.

"Youngjae, we've been dating for the past five years and everything about it is going great, but I feel- no, that sounds like I'm breaking up with him," Junhong said to himself.

He wasn't very good at admitting to what he wants. Hell, it took him three years when he met Youngjae to even admit his feelings to the older.

He still remembered that day. He and Youngjae had a mutual friend together named Daehyun. He introduced the two together because he knew that they were both single and both queer as hell. Junhong was okay with being friends with Youngjae, even though he had a huge major crush on the older. It took him several years and a couple of awkward conversations until he told Youngjae how he felt about him. Technically, everybody knew about his stupid crush on Youngjae, but they were polite enough to not mention it (Yongguk). Others, however, have been poking fun at him and would make references about love around Youngjae (Himchan).

And here he is now, about to do something that will change his life forever; for good.

It was something they've been talking about for a while. It came up in conversation and the two thought about different ways people seemed to have done it. Now Junhong is ready to take their relationship to the next level.

"Junhong? What are you doing?" he heard a familiar voice ask.

He jumped and turned around. He saw Youngjae standing by the door, giving his boyfriend a rather puzzling look.

"Nothing, love! Just thinking is all," Junhong admitted.

Youngjae sighed softly and grabbed the younger's hand.

"I know you're not a huge party person and I know you're trying to find ways to get out of it, but you're stuck with it. So please pretend to enjoy the party tomorrow? For my sake?" Youngjae asked, giving him puppy dog eyes.

Junhong hated that. He does hate the parties sometimes, but he'll suck it up for Youngjae. However, that was not what was on his mind but he'll let Youngjae think it was.

"Of course, love. I always do," Junhong answered, giving him a soft kiss on his forehead.

Youngjae smiled brightly and kissed his cheek.

"Good. Now, I need to get ready for work. Leave," Youngjae told him, shooing him away.

Junhong did and began to walk out of their shared rooms. He continued to think of ways to bring it up.

\-----

The day was Youngjae's birthday. Junhong did everything in his power to make Youngjae happy, while also slipping in his surprise.

He tried to hide it in the pancakes that he made (blueberry), but he forgot to add it into the mix. He kept his cool while Youngjae ate his breakfast, which also resulted in cuddle times because Youngjae loves cuddling in the morning. Especially on his birthday with Junhong in close proximities.

The next time he tried to surprise him with his gift ended horribly. He tried to drop hints at Youngjae, but he was completely oblivious, focused more on the party and made sure that everything was going perfectly. Junhong had to keep reminding Youngjae that his parties are always fantastic and that there's no reason to be so nervous.

The last, and final, time that Junhong brought it up, it was a few minutes as everybody began to file in, with Youngjae trying to find something to wear.

"Youngjae, we need to talk," Junhong announced to him.

"Can it wait? I'm trying to find the right shirt to go with these pants," Youngjae answered, looking at all of his shirt choices.

"This is important," Junhong blurted out.

Youngjae turned his head, but sat down on the bed and waited.

"Youngjae, we- we've been dating for a rather long time now, but I think –"

"Oh god, you're breaking up with me aren't you?" Youngjae asked.

"What? No! That's not –"

"I mean, I understand, too! We've been together for so _long_ that I feel like you didn't get to experience your own freedom! I understand if you want to break up, but please-"

"Youngjae!" Junhong interrupted.

Youngjae stopped talking and looked up.

"I'm not breaking up with you," Junhong finally said.

"Then… wha -?"

"I'm proposing!" Junhong shouted.

Youngjae looked frozen. Junhong sighed and looked at the velvet box. So much for a well prepared speech.

"We talked about it before. You said you wanted to get married under a large umbrella in a garden, with birds flying by as we kiss as husbands. It's not the most romantic, but it's something I wanted to try," Junhong admitted.

He opened the velvet box and showed the male silver band with intricate leaves and designs. He heard Youngjae gasp at the beauty of the band.

"Junhong… yes!" Youngjae answered.

He snapped his head up and smiled widely.

"Wait, really?" Junhong asked.

"Yes! A thousand times yes!" Youngjae answered.

Youngjae tackled Junhong into a hug while putting the band ring onto his ring finger. It fit rather loosely, but they could get that fixed. Junhong gave Youngjae a soft, yet long kiss. He pulled away and smiled.

"Happy birthday, Youngjae," Junhong said.

Best birthday present ever.


	24. Champion

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Week 24: A story that ends on a cliffhanger.

The sun shone brightly throughout the entire palace. Himchan stared at the man that was supposed to be his own champion. His father hand-picked him specifically for his oldest son for his name day. It was a rather odd present, being given a champion for his name day but he didn't question it. He merely stared at the smaller boy in question.

"This is my champion? He's rather small," Himchan finally said.

The champion looked rather embarrassed, as if to know that his strength and size isn't shown.

"He's rather quick and can hold his own in a fight. I chose wisely for you, my son," his father answered.

Himchan said nothing as he continued to stare at the small champion. He kept staring at the ground, afraid to meet the gaze of the elder prince. Himchan didn't blame him. Hardly anybody looks at him square in the eye. The only one who does is his younger brother, Jongup, and that's because he grew up with him and makes sarcastic comments at him.

"What can he do?" Himchan asks his father.

"Many things, my son! He won against a rather large gladiator the other day, and was able to survive against a pack of starving lions a few moons before. He's a survivor, and I hope he will become your champion," his father declared.

"Yes, but why a champion? We already have Yongguk to be our champion," Himchan pointed out.

"That may be true, but he's your brother's champion. And your brother has grown rather fond of that man, too. I have decided to give you your own champion. He will compete in the games within two months' time," his told him.

Himchan snapped his head towards his father and raised an eyebrow.

"Those games are dangerous! Hardly anyone ever survives the final round," Himchan stated.

"I am confident that Daehyun here, your champion, will win the games. If not, then it was a waste," the emperor responded.

Himchan glared at his father. He looked over at Daehyun and looked rather confused. Himchan didn't blame him. The games were mostly his city's thing. It was an intense competition that forced all the gladiators, or champions as Himchan calls it, are put into a ring with starving lions and they have to fight them, as well as each other, for survival. First one alive wins, but sometimes nobody wins. The only person that has won, if Himchan remembers, is Jongup's champion, and that was from sheer dumb luck.

"We'll prepare your champion soon enough. For now, get to know him. He shall be your bodyguard until the games come into play," his father suggested.

Himchan couldn't believe this. This small boy was supposed to protect him? He wouldn't be surprised if he finds him dead in front of his door.

He shakes the thoughts from his head and leads Daehyun towards his own room in order to get him comfortable.

"If you're to protect me, then you must get familiar with the household. This is the main hallway towards the many different rooms. Three doors to the left of me is Jongup's room. He doesn't need much protection because his own guard guards his door," Himchan explained.

"And your room, master?" Daehyun asked.

His voice was soft and silky. It almost sent shivers down his spine when Daehyun had called him 'master'. That was a rather strange feeling.

"We'll get there. The other doors are for guests. Your own room will be around here somewhere. Yongguk will most likely show you where the other guards and servants rest," Himchan answered.

Himchan stopped in front of a door just a few feet away from the entrance.

"This is my room. There's hardly anything in it, so don't be too surprised," Himchan told him.

Himchan opened his own door and stepped inside. The walls were bare, the bed was hardly made, and musical instruments were littered all across the floor. Himchan didn't see much as special, but looking at Daehyun's face made it seem magical for some reason.

"This is your _room_? Where I used to sleep, all they gave me was a lumpy mattress and a thin blanket," Daehyun said in astonishment.

Himchan needs to remember that he's of royalty, and that peasants like Daehyun doesn't understand the concept of luxury.

He said nothing and began to venture inside his room. He sat on his bed and crossed his legs.

"How come you don't clean your room?" Daehyun asked him.

"The servants clean my room. I refuse to let them touch anything in my room. I like everything to be in a neat order, even though it does create a sort of messiness," Himchan explained.

Daehyun said nothing as he continued to look around.

"It's getting dark. I need sleep and you should start your job. Fortunately for you, you get the day off. Yongguk will be taking you to your bunkers. That is where you'll be staying until further notice. Now good night, Daehyun," Himchan ordered.

Daehyun stood up straighter, nodded his head, and made his leave out of the room. Himchan stared as Daehyun left his room and laid down on his bed. This was going to be a rather long two weeks.

\-----

A week has gone by before Himchan could even blink. He learned a bit about Daehyun, but only the basic stuff. Most of the stuff that Himchan is trying to get out of Daehyun is rather difficult. For example, where his parents are and how he got into slavery in the first place. No matter what Himchan tried to do, Daehyun mostly kept quiet about his past life.

"I mean, I don't get it! Yongguk told you everything the first day you guys met," Himchan told his younger brother, Jongup.

Jongup looked indifferent as he began to chew on his grapes.

"Yongguk was sensitive back then. I had to help heal his leg that one time, too. He owed me for that," Jongup answered as he began to munch on some strawberries.

Himchan only huffed in annoyance. He glared at Jongup until he finally turned his head towards his older brother.

"Look, if you really wanted to know so much about him, why don't you open up to him? Let him know you, too. Share some personal stories with him. That's also how I got Yongguk to open up to me. Just because you're a prince or whatever, it doesn't mean that you get everything you want," Jongup said.

Himchan thought about it. Sure, he mostly asked about Daehyun. He barely said anything about himself. Maybe he should open up about himself, too. Let Daehyun get to know him.

He stood up from the table and began to march towards his room.

\-----

"I realize that I haven't let you get to know me. Would you like to?" Himchan declared to Daehyun.

Daehyun stared at him with curious, yet confused eyes.

"Um… sure I guess?" Daehyun responded.

"Alright. So, you should ask me anything you want to know," Himchan said.

"The instruments. I heard the servants say that you used to play. What happened?" he asked.

Himchan winced a little at the question. It's been so long since he remembered the incident.

"My mother passed away when I was doing a concert. She needed me and I wasn't there because I was too busy with my music to realize. I stopped playing after that. It didn't do me good, since I'm to be the next emperor soon and an emperor shouldn't be wasting his time on something meaningless," Himchan answered.

He could feel Daehyun's eyes staring at him. He looked up and Daehyun almost looked… sad.

"You shouldn't blame yourself. She would be proud to see the man you are today! She loves you, and she possibly knows how important music is to you," Daehyun said.

"Well, yeah! But I feel like I should've done something instead. Jongup was with her when she was dying. I don't know, so I stopped. I let the 'what if's take over and it ruined me for a good year. It was my decision to quit and I feel like a part of me disappeared," Himchan explained.

He heard Daehyun humming. He soon stopped and fiddled with his hands.

"When I was three, I was taken from my family. I was forced into an abusive family that didn't give me a name. They just called me no name. I tried looking for my family, but they were dead before I could see them again. It's hard losing the ones you love, but the easiest thing to do is remember them. Remember, and cherish. I hardly remember what my mom looks like, but I know she must've looked like me," Daehyun said.

Himchan said nothing. He was finally opening up. He was trusting him. He felt his heart flutter for a second, but it soon stopped. He looked down at his wrist and saw the bracelet his mother gave him.

The two talked until the sun began to go down. Daehyun left Himchan's room and began to guard his door. He laid down on his bed and realized his stomach never settled.

\-----

A month slowly drifted by. Himchan stared at the flowers with a longing gaze. They were so pretty and smelled so wonderful.

"I thought I'd find you here, brother," he heard Jongup say.

"Hello, dear brother. I heard interesting things from the servants. And Daehyun, of course. My, you were a loud one. And caught in the study? My, what would father say," Himchan teased, smirking up at his younger brother.

His smirk grew wider when he saw Jongup blushing like a young school girl.

"You shouldn't tease like that, brother. I've seen the way you look at your own champion. I even see a glint when he calls you 'master'," Jongup said, glaring hard at his older brother.

"Please. I simple fond the male. He's quite interesting," Himchan answered.

"And he's going to die in those games," Jongup said.

Himchan froze. He almost forgot about the games. Yongguk was out of the tournament for barely winning the last games. He's scared of what Daehyun would be like. He's afraid that Daehyun wouldn't make it.

"He can't escape the games, you know. Father already placed his name down. If he flees, they will find him and kill him on sight. You remembered what happened to another champion, right?" Jongup stated.

Himchan remembered perfectly. It was three years ago. A champion left the games and fled somewhere that no one knew where. He was found a few days later, but the guards killed him when they had the chance.

"And I've grown so fond over him. I know! I'll get Yongguk to train Daehyun! He could-"

Jongup merely shook his head. Himchan's face fell. He needs to find a way for Daehyun to stay alive.

But how?

\-----

A week before the games. Himchan called Daehyun over and began to rest his beating heart.

"You called for me, master," Daehyun said, looking inside the room.

"Daehyun, as you know the games are in one week. I have come to tell you the best of luck until then. I'll be busy within the week helping my father prepare them. You may be busy, too, as you train for your battle," Himchan said.

Daehyun looked skeptical.

"Is that all, master?" Daehyun asked him.

Himchan really wished he would stop calling him that.

"Yes."

Daehyun took a step closer and Himchan took a step back.

"You're lying," Daehyun declared.

Himchan looked a bit stunned. He sees Daehyun walking closer to him, but he just stays rooted on the floor.

"You like me, don't you? You never say good luck to someone unless it's for a reason," Daehyun pointed out.

"Y-You don't know me! How would you even know that?" Himchan snapped, glaring at him.

"The servants told me that you never wish Yongguk good luck, or any of the other champions that you've had before! So don't you dare tell me you're saying good luck out of pity," Daehyun argued.

Daehyun was right. He never said good luck to any of the previous champions. It was mostly greeting them and giving them a head nod while watching them fight. He even decided this morning that he wasn't going to see the fight, something he has never done before ever.

And Daehyun's lips were waiting right in front of him. So inviting and plump. Himchan pulled Daehyun but his shoulders and kissed him hard on the mouth. The next thing he knew, the two were on the bed, pulling away clothing that was in the way. And Himchan was in complete bliss.

\-----

Himchan sat in his room, doodling. He could hear the fighting outside, since the arena was rather close to the palace. He told his younger brother that he wasn't going to watch Daehyun getting murdered right in front of him. Now he understood why Jongup sat out when Yongguk was in battle. He sighed to himself and kept doodling.

After a few hours, he looks up and sees Jongup standing over the doorframe.

"Daehyun won," Jongup said.

Himchan felt his heart in his throat. He pushed Jongup aside and began to make his way towards the champion quarters. He looked inside the room and saw Daehyun there, breathing heavily and wounded badly. He looked so defeated, even though he won. He gave Himchan a rather weak smile.

"Master," Daehyun weakly said.

He began to walk towards Himchan, but stumbled before he got two steps in. Himchan quickly grabbed hold of Daehyun and began to feel tears streaking down his cheeks.

"Someone help him, please!" Himchan pleaded.

He held Daehyun closely, his breathing growing shallower. He held him close to his chest until help would arrive.


	25. The Beginning of Summer

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Week 25: A story set at the summer solstice.

When Yongguk first met Jongup, they were only kids. Well… Yongguk was a kid. He wasn't too sure about Jongup. They met on the summer solstice, a day where it was rumored that those who ventured into the forest will meet a fairy and be taken away. Yongguk believed in those stories. Mostly because he was a kid and he didn't want to be taken away from his mommy and daddy. His parents always warned him never to venture into the forest behind their house. Yongnam always questioned why, but his parents never gave him an answer. They just told them that if they ever venture inside that they must enter together.

And that was how he met Jongup during the summer solstice.

\-----

"Come on, Yongguk! I dare you to enter the forest," Yongnam whined, standing at the edge of the forest.

"But mommy and daddy said not to! They said that we would be taken by fairies," Yongguk said, whispering the last part to his older twin brother.

"Fairies don't exist! They just say that to scare you so you don't wander off," Yongnam argued.

Yongguk looked at the forest and grew scared. He didn't want to go in anyway. However, the look on Yongnam's face read that if he didn't enter the forest right now, he would be made fun of.

"Alright fine," Yongguk agreed, pouting slightly.

He walked towards the edge of the forest. He turned around and saw Yongnam encouraging him to enter inside. He hesitated a little bit, but ventured inside. The forest was massive. The trees were so thick that it made it hard for him to see the trail that his parents have told him many times to take. He continued to walk through the forest when he heard a twig snap. He turned his head to the noise and froze.

"Y-Yongnam I know it's you!" Yongguk stuttered out.

The forest was silent. All that was heard was the birds singing and the leaves making soft rustling noises. Yongguk continued walking and tried to see if he could find a way out. The trees were beginning to look the same.

He was lost.

He sat down behind a tree and began to cry. He cried out for his mother, his father, his older sister, and even Yongnam. No one heard his cries, which made him cry even harder. He heard rustling and a large _thwarp_. He looked up and saw a boy no older than him, scrambling up and brushed his clothes.

"Hi!" the boy said excitedly.

Yongguk stared at him. He was a bit shorter than him, with messy dark brown hair, dark brown eyes, and a beauty mark on his nose. At first glance, Yongguk thought he was also a lost kid, until he saw the boy's ears. They were pointed and his clothes looked like they were dyed leaves.

"W-Who are you?" Yongguk asked.

"I'm Jongup. My mommy says I'm not allowed to talk to humans, but you seemed lost. I can find your way out," Jongup offered, smiling widely at him.

Yongguk continued to stare at him. He could've sworn, out of the corner of his eye, that he saw a pair of wings on Jongup's back.

"W-Who… What are you?" Yongguk asked.

"Isn't it obvious! I'm a fairy! Well, a newborn fairy. I still need practice on flying and magic. But I'm getting better!" he answered.

"If I accept your offer, are you going to do something to me?" Yongguk asked him.

"I'm still a baby! I don't know how contracts work. I know! If I help you out of the forest, you can visit me every summer solstice! Can you do that?" Jongup asked him.

Yongguk was hesitant. It seemed less tame than what his parents told him. Then again, this is a child fairy. What would happen if the fairy grew up and learned about contracts? He wanted to refuse, tell him that he'll find his own way. But then, he doesn't know where the trail is.

"Okay. But only on the summer solstice," Yongguk agreed.

Jongup smiled widely and offered his hand to Yongguk. He hesitantly accepted the offer and the two made their way out of the forest. Well, it was more like Jongup was dragging him out of the dense forest while Yongguk was trying his best to keep up. As the two got near the entrance of the forest, Yongguk saw how late it was getting. He saw his house and stepped out of the woods. He looked over at Jongup, who looked like he wanted to step inside the house.

"How will I find you again?" Yongguk asked him.

Jongup looked like he was thinking about it. He leaned forward and kissed right between his eyes. Yongguk was startled and stared at the younger in confusion.

"Now every midsummer's eve, you'll find the trail inside the woods. All you need to do is call my name when the trail ends and I'll find you," Jongup told him.

Yongguk saw him disappearing back into the woods. He rubbed the spot on his head and frowned. He looked at the house and began to enter inside. When he walked into the house, he heard his parents arguing. He looked into the kitchen and saw his brother sitting on the chair, with his parents scolding him.

"How could you let this happen? We told you multiple times not to go into the woods! Now he may have been taken by fairies," his mother scolded.

"Mommy?" Yongguk said hesitantly.

His parents turned around and saw Yongguk, relief replaced with worry.

"Oh Yongguk, I was so worried! "Oh Yongguk, I was so worried! What we're you thinking?" his mother scolded, hugging him tightly.

Yongguk looked at Yongnam, who looked a bit confused. Yongguk would be, too, if he didn't meet what he was supposed to believe was make believe.

"I'm fine, mommy. I got home safely," Yongguk told her.

Yongguk spent the next twenty minutes to assure his mother that no, he didn't make any contracts and that no, he's fine. After making sure that he was fine and that everything was okay, he was sent to his room because he felt exhausted and wanted to sleep.

\-----

Yongguk is now ten years old. Today was the summer solstice. It has been one year since he made a deal with Jongup, who he thinks is a fairy. Many of the kids at school made fun of him when he told them about his summer vacation. Many didn't believe him because fairies only exist in books and that babies only believed in them. Yongguk knows what he saw and he's going to see him again.

He saw that his parents were busy, so he quickly snuck out from the kitchen and made his way towards the forest. He checked his backpack one last time before he began to set on his adventure. He looked at the entrance and saw glowing sparkles illuminating the forest floor. It was strange to see it, but he knows that it must be Jongup's magic.

As he got closer and closer, he saw that the trail ended inside the clearing, where the sun was shining brightly and many of the animals were gathered to eat.

"Jongup!" Yongguk called out.

He waited patiently for someone to come. He looked around the forest and tried to call Jongup again. By the fifth time, he almost gave up, until he met a pair of eyes that looked mischievous.

"I didn't think you'd come," Jongup said.

Yongguk saw that Jongup was hanging upside down from a tree branch and smiled widely at him. He let go and floated easily to the ground.

"My mommy said that it would be rare if a human would come back because when they're not contracted, they don't have to show up," Jongup explained.

"I wanna see you, though. I wanna make sure that you're real and not a figment of my imagination," Yongguk explained shyly.

Jongup only gave him a smile. Yongguk is wondering if he ever stops smiling.

"Hey, what's in your bag?" Jongup asked, trying to get the bag.

Yongguk quickly grabbed the bag and held it against his chest. He saw Jongup _flying_. His wings were large and bright green. Jongup seemed happy about this fact.

"I brought us some food. I figured you'd want to try some human food or something. Also some stories and books for you to read," Yongguk explained, taking the items out of his bag.

Jongup seemed hesitant to take the food, but took an apple and stared at it.

"My mommy says I'm not allowed to eat human food. She says that I would stay in the human world forever," Jongup said sadly.

Yongguk looked at the food and began to think.

"I know! Every summer solstice, we'll bring our own food! That way we won't be stuck in a place we don't belong just yet," Yongguk said.

Jongup smiled and nodded his head. He picked up one of the books and read the title carefully. That was also the day that Yongguk began to teach the younger how to read.

\-----

As the years progress, Yongguk began to know about Jongup. About his world and how they live. Jongup was more curious about his world instead of Yongguk being curious about Jongup's world. He didn't mind, though. Apparently most of the fairy tales that he leant Jongup had corrections and was given back immediately. Yongguk realized that the books weren't really that far off.

Yongguk is eighteen, about to go to college the last week of August. He walked towards the edge of the forest and saw the trail. He has been using the trail for so long that he possibly doesn't need it, but he still uses it for guidance anyway. He continued walking until he saw the clearing. However, unlike the times before where he would call for Jongup, he was already there. He smiled widely and gently ruffled his hair.

"Hey, brat," Yongguk greeted, sitting in front of him.

"First of all, rude! Second of all, I finally beat you," Jongup stated, smirking.

"You're still a brat. I got some more books for you to read, but they're a bit difficult, I think. They're books I had to read for my Korean class," Yongguk offered, opening his backpack and bringing out the books.

Jongup looked at them carefully, skimming the titles carefully.

" _The Scarlet Letter_. _Pride and Prejudice_. _The Secret Garden_?" Jongup read out loud.

"I think you'll like _The Secret Garden_. It's a really good book. Kind of sad, but it's good," Yongguk said.

Jongup looked hesitant, holding onto the book close to his chest.

"Can… Can you read it to me?" Jongup asked.

Yongguk smiled softly. Jongup has asked before when they were merely kids. Yongguk set his bag aside and offered his lap to the younger. Jongup sat beside him and gave him the book. The wings were a bit of a hassle, but Jongup got them to work in his favor where it doesn't hit Yongguk in the face. Jongup settled nicely onto Yongguk's lap and waited for Yongguk to start reading.

"Nobody seemed to care about Mary. She was born in India, where her father was a British official. He was busy with his work, and her mother, who was very beautiful, spent all her time going to parties. So an Indian woman, Kamala, was paid to take care of the little girl. Mary was not a pretty child. She had a thin angry face and thin yellow hair. She was always giving orders to Kamala, who had to obey. Mary never thought of other people, but only of herself. In fact, she was a very selfish, disagreeable, bad-tempered little girl," Yongguk read.

As Yongguk continued to read, he looked down at Jongup to make sure that he was still awake. As he was getting to the part where Mary four the key to the garden, it was getting late. He handed Jongup the book, who seemed to be sleeping. He smiled softly and brought out a blanket just in case. He draped the blanket over Jongup's body and began to pack away his things.

"Will I see you again?" he heard Jongup ask.

He looked up and saw Jongup wide awake, messing around with the book.

"We have to see. I'm going to college in another country. I don't know if I'll be staying over the summer or coming back. We'll see each other again, I'm sure," Yongguk told him.

He saw Jongup's shoulders slouch. He sat back up and pouted.

"But… but I want you to stay here. No one believes me when I tell them about you. They pick on me. You're my only friend, and I don't want to lose you," Jongup said.

Yongguk felt a bit guilty. He was going to leave Jongup alone for possibly four years, depending on how long he would stay. He touched the necklace around his throat and unclasped it. He handed it to Jongup in his hands and kissed his forehead.

"This is mine. I had it when I was younger. I want you to have it. Promise me you'll take care of it until I come back," Yongguk said.

Jongup immediately nodded his head. Yongguk checked his cell phone and saw that it was a lot late than he anticipated. Just a few more minutes until the summer solstice ended.

"I have to leave. And so do you. I'll visit whenever I can, okay," Yongguk promised.

Jongup smiled and stared at the necklace and the book. Yongguk grabbed his bag and began to make his way out of the forest.

\-----

Six long years have passed. Yongguk has finally graduated college from New York two years prior. He made it home and began to settle into his childhood home, after his parents decided to retire and rest for a bit. Yongguk sort of forgot about the summer solstice.

"Oh hey, there's a festival! Apparently there's a full moon during the summer solstice," Yongnam pointed out.

Yongguk snapped his head up and looked at the television screen. The festival was tonight. He looked at his watch and saw that it was still early. He walked out of the house, ignoring his brother's calls, and began to make his way towards the edge of the forest. The trail still lit up for him and he began to walk. He saw the clearing and saw Jongup, but froze. He took a good look at him and wondered if it was Jongup, or just some fairy playing tricks on him.

"J-Jongup?" he called out.

The fairy turned his head and it really was Jongup. His face looked older and it looked like he grew a couple of inches. He stood up and stared at Yongguk carefully. Yongguk could feel his heart beating against his chest. Something about this wasn't right. He remembered reading stories to him when they were children. He remembered explaining the concept of a cell phone to him when Jongup thought he square box was magic.

"You finally came," Jongup said. Although his tone seemed to be emotionless.

"Jongup, are you okay?" Yongguk asked, taking one step towards him.

Jongup took one step back.

"You left me! For six years! You promised!" Jongup shouted.

Yongguk wanted nothing more than to hug the boy against his chest and apologize so hard that the words lose their meaning.

"I'm sorry, I forgot about our deal and I just… I remembered," he said.

Jongup looked like he didn't buy it at all. Yongguk didn't really blame him.

"You abandoned me! I've waited for you for six years! I thought…" Jongup said, trailing off.

Yongguk saw Jongup crying, tears falling from his eyes. Yongguk reached his hand out hesitantly, until he grabbed him and pulled the fairy to his chest. Jongup sobbed onto his shirt.

"I thought you'd forget me. That's what everyone else does, anyway. I want to be near you. Until you pass on to the next life," Jongup told him.

"I'll still visit you. I'll try to remember this time," Yongguk promised.

"No, you don't understand! People forget when they're been away too long. You're lucky enough to even remember me. No one else has," Jongup explained, pulling away from him.

Yongguk stared into Jongup's eyes and decided to do something he's thought about possibly once when they were kids.

"What if I kiss you?" Yongguk asked.

Jongup snapped his head up, questioning what Yongguk just said.

"What?" Jongup asked.

"Kiss you. What if I kiss you? What would happen?" Yongguk asked him.

"D-depends. You may be stuck in my world, or I may be stuck in yours. I think it depends on location or ground rules or… something," Jongup answered.

Yongguk lifted his head up to let Jongup stare into his eyes. He leaned down and pressed his lips against Jongup's mouth. The kiss tasted sweet, like cherries. He felt Jongup wrapping his arms around his neck and Yongguk pulled Jongup closer. The two broke the kiss and looked around. Yongguk was still placed in the human world, while Jongup was still a fairy.

"Looks like we're safe for now," Yongguk observed.

"But just in case, for research purposes, I think we should do that again," Jongup said.

The two kissed again, letting the sound of fireworks go off in the background and the sound of the fairies chattering reach their ears.

Right now, the two were in complete bliss.


	26. Memory Lane

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Week 26: A story about nostalgia.

Youngjae flipped through the pages silently, making sure that his husband continued sleeping. He felt a shift next to him and he looked up. Junhong looked at him with sleepy eyes and a bit of drool coming from his mouth.

"Did I wake you?" Youngjae asked.

"Your light was bugging me. What are you doing up so late?" Junhong asked, rubbing his eyes awake and sitting up to see what Youngjae was doing.

"Traveling back to memory lane," Youngjae confessed, flipping back to the first page.

"At one in the morning?" he asked.

"I couldn't sleep and I needed something happy to look at. Oh, this was when we first met," Youngjae recalled, pointing at the first picture.

The picture was of them when they were younger. Youngjae was wearing a crown on top of his head, smiling widely at the camera, while Junhong looked at the camera with a confused expression, holding onto a plastic toy dragon.

"That was the first time we met," Junhong pointed out.

"God, I remember that day. You were so scared," Youngjae pointed out.

"Hey, it was a new neighborhood I was joining. Of course I'd be scared," Junhong stated.

Youngjae only laughed and stared at the picture, reminiscing about that day.

\-----

Youngjae saw the moving vans pulling up. He grew curious and asked his mommy about it. He never saw such a huge car like that.

"Mommy, mommy! Why is there a huge truck parked in front of that house?" Youngjae asked her.

His mother looked at what he was pointing at and saw a couple of movers moving the heavier items inside. A woman got out of her car, along with a rather smaller boy around Youngjae's age.

"It looks like we have some new neighbors! And there's a boy around your age who you could interact," his mother said.

Youngjae was a bit confused. He looked at the family and saw the smaller boy staring at the house. The boy was pale, with dark brown hair and wide brown eyes. He looked curious, and Youngjae believes that they could be friends.

"Hello! We are the Yoo Family. I'm Sunhwa and this is my son, Youngjae," his mother introduced.

The other woman smiled politely and bowed to her.

"Hello. I'm Choi Jieun, and this is my son Junhong. He's a little bit shy towards strangers, but I'm sure he'll warm up to you," Jieun introduced.

Youngjae looked down and saw Junhong cowering behind his mother's legs. Youngjae walked up to him, which made the younger boy hide.

"Hi! I'm Youngjae! Do you wanna be friends?" Youngjae asked him.

He saw the young boy shake his head no. Youngjae pouted.

"Sweetheart, be nice. He only wants to be your friend," the mother scolded.

Junhong peaked over his mother's legs and stared at Youngjae. He then hid again.

"I know! You can come over for dinner! As a sort of welcome to the neighborhood sort of thing. That way the boys can know each other a little better," his mother suggested.

After much convincing on his mother's part, the two made their way to Youngjae's house and entered inside. Youngjae sat down on the floor, playing with his dolls and wearing a crown on his head. His mother and the other pretty mother began to talk in the kitchen. Youngjae looked up and saw Junhong hesitating. He looked nervous.

"Wanna play kingdom? You get to be the knight while I get to be the king!" Youngjae asked.

Junhong looked scared. Youngjae held out the knight for him. Junhong sat down, but took the dragon instead.

"I wanna be the dragon," Junhong said in his timid voice.

Youngjae said nothing as he handed Junhong the red and yellow dragon that he had.

"So I'm the king and you're the dragon that is trying to burn my kingdom down," Youngjae explained.

"But I dun wanna burn a kingdom down," Junhong said, pouting.

"Then what does the dragon wanna do?" Youngjae asked.

Junhong shrugged his shoulders. Youngjae was getting a little annoyed, until he thought of something.

"I know! You can be the king's royal guardian! You can give him advice and tell him what he should or shouldn't do for his kingdom! And if the bully kingdoms say otherwise, you can burn them down," Youngjae suggested.

Junhong looked like he was in thought.

"Can I talk?" Junhong asked.

Youngjae eagerly nodded his head. The two then began to play kingdom. It was then that Youngjae's mother came out with a camera and took a picture of them.

\-----

"God, I was so annoyed with you. You didn't want to be anything," Youngjae recalled, smiling softly.

"I was a bit of a pacifist then. I wasn't one to burn stuff down," Junhong explained.

"Well, better than what Yongguk or Jongup did. Yongguk was more about being careful and wanted to do what was right as the dragon. Jongup nearly knocked my entire castle down," Youngjae explained, looking at the next pictures.

Most of them were of them as kids when they were going to school, some of them were birthdays. One of his favorites was when he was graduating high school. He was valedictorian, as Junhong had predicted. During that time, however, Youngjae knew of Junhong's strong affections towards him. Youngjae, very kindly, rejected him and still offered to be friends with him. Even though he knows of his attraction. It was a picture of Youngjae in his graduation gown (fixed with a black gown and red sash and cords.

"I remember that. You were going away for college. I wanted you to stay so bad, but I knew I couldn't. I had the biggest crush on you," Junhong confessed, smiling widely.

"Really? I didn't notice," Youngjae joked.

Junhong only rolled his eyes.

"No, but I think I developed feelings for you, too, because I was always dating pale guys with a tendency to trip over their own feet," Youngjae confessed.

"Well, when you got back, you certainly did," Junhong pointed out.

\-----

Youngjae came home from college as soon as he graduated. His mother has been insistent of him coming back, but Youngjae saw no reason to come home other than seeing his childhood best friend Junhong. He relaxed at home, enjoying the days of him lazing about until he realized he needs a job. He heard a knock on the door and got up, not caring that he's wearing his ratty sweats and his college hoodie sweatshirt. He opened the door and saw a rather tall, pale man.

"Can I help you?" Youngjae asked, clearly exhausted.

"Youngjae?" a familiar voice asked.

Youngjae snapped his head up and saw that it was Junhong. He shot up a good couple of feet. His hair was a different color, too, and he liked it. Was that a nose ring?

"J-Junhong? Holy shit, you grew!" Youngjae exclaimed, staring up at him.

"Yeah, it's what happens when you leave for four years," Junhong stated bitterly.

Okay, Youngjae did deserve that. He remembered telling Junhong that he would visit, but he never saw the chance. He was always busy with classes and having a job and a somewhat relationship that it was hard to go back home. He didn't blame the younger at this point.

"Well, hey! What have you been up to? I heard you got an internship at some big company," Youngjae said, trying to change the subject.

Junhong merely shrugged his shoulders, like it wasn't that big of a deal. Youngjae was pulling at straws now.

"I can go for some coffee right now. You wanna come? I'm buying," Youngjae offered.

"In those sweats?" Junhong questioned, raising an eyebrow.

Youngjae wanted to slap the younger. He grabbed his wallet and house keys and left the house with Junhong walking close to him. Youngjae's heart began to beat a little faster than normal. This was new. He surely hasn't felt like this when he started dating those college boys. Why was Junhong different?

Oh no.

Youngjae realized that seeing Junhong brought back vaguely familiar feelings; feelings that he has been trying to keep down for years! Sure, he thought that his feelings for Junhong was more under the friendship kind, but this was heading into some rather dangerous territory. This was something Youngjae didn't see a mile away.

He was falling for Junhong.

\-----

"God, I was a mess back then. I realized I had feelings for you, but I thought you moved on," Youngjae reminisced, remembering how he asked his old friend, Himchan, for advice on it.

"Why would you think that?" Junhong asked.

"Come on! You kept going on and on about how Yongguk was thing and Yongguk was that. I thought you were falling for him," Youngjae confessed.

"What made you realized that I wasn't?" Junhong asked.

Well, a few things. One, when Junhong drunkenly kissed him one time at the Christmas party Himchan threw. Second was the time when Junhong actually kissed him on New Years. The third was when Youngjae accidentally walked in on Yongguk and Jongup doing something that even to this day he blushes when he sees the two.

"When you asked me out, I thought you were joking. I kept thinking 'oh god, is this a prank?' I have dealt with that before, you know," Junhong confessed.

"I know. And trust me, you would know a prank if I set one up," Youngjae explained.

"Well, _now_ I do! I didn't back then you know! I still had a crush on you," Junhong confessed.

Youngjae said nothing as he continued to look through the pictures. Most of them were date pictures he has asked other people to take. One was a rather blurry picture of Youngjae proposing at some restaurant that he couldn't remember. He flipped a couple more pages until he saw their wedding photo, taken about eight years ago.

"God, I was so stupid wearing that hair color," Junhong complained.

"I told you white was not a good color to wear during a wedding," Youngjae stated, staring at their wedding pictures.

"I was keeping up with the theme, okay! Not my fault that it didn't work," Junhong defended.

Youngjae still remembers that day as if it happened yesterday.

\-----

Youngjae has never been more stressed about something in his life, and that's saying something. Youngjae is always stressed about something.

"Are our mothers here? What about Junhong's dad? He made it specifically clear that he wants him away from his mother. At least two feet away," Youngjae asked.

"Yes, yes, and we made sure for the _billionth_ time today! Relax! The wedding will be fine and it'll go off without a hitch," Jongup said.

"I know! It's just… I'm so nervous, you know. I mean, what was it like marrying the man you have been crushing on since the third grade?" Youngjae asked.

He saw a look of love rush past Jongup's face and Youngjae already knew the answer. He heard a knock at the door. Jongup checked to see who it was and opened the door to reveal Daehyun, Youngjae's college friend and roommate.

"Oh god, how is he?" Youngjae asked.

"Same thing that you're doing. Have you seen his hair?" Daehyun asked.

"Oh no, he dyed it to something crazy, didn't he?" Youngjae asked.

Youngjae was never given an answer. Instead, he was ushered out of the room and towards the pew of the church (his and Junhong's parent's wishes). He stood at the pew and saw Junhong coming out next.

He dyed his hair white.

\----

"I wanted to kill you that day. But then I remembered that there were people around, so I couldn't," Youngjae confessed.

"You kind of yelled at me while we were taking our wedding pictures. You were being passive aggressive," Junhong recounted.

Youngjae said nothing. He continued to look through the pictures until he got to the last page. He looked at the clock and saw that it was getting incredibly late. He set the photo album in his drawer and turned out the light.

"That was a fun trip down memory lane," Junhong whispered, holding onto his husband close to his chest.

"So much nostalgia, to be honest. By the way, I never found that necklace that you supposedly lost," Youngjae told him.

And with that, the two drifted off into their soft slumber.


	27. Falling In Love With You

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Week 27: A story that features a song or poem.

_Wise men say_

_Only fools rush in_

_But I can't help falling in love with you_

_Shall I stay?_

_Would it be a sin_

_If I can't help falling in love with you?_

 

 

Jongup is, what a lot of people say, lovesick. It was something that he had when he was in middle school. He developed a rather small (large) crush on his best friend's older brother. It would've been cool and stuff, if not for the fact that his own older brother is also best friends with him and started dating him in high school. Jongup was, of course, heartbroken, but he still kept his crush going. Even after dating all those people. He confided in Junhong about his not-so-secret crush on his older brother.

"I kinda figured," Junhong responded to Jongup's confession.

"Wait, you knew?" Jongup asked.

"Somewhat. I mean, you keep making heart eyes at my brother. I'm surprised he hasn't caught on," Junhong answered.

Jongup tries not to be too obvious. He's in love with Yongguk, sure, but he appreciates being just near him.

And then he was off to college with Himchan, his older brother.

As the years pass by, Jongup's longing crush fades a bit, but it's still there. One day, Junhong tells him the news that Yongguk and Himchan broke up due to mutual unattraction.

It was then that Jongup decided to try to get Yongguk's attention on him.

\-----

The first thing Jongup ever does is ask Himchan for advice. His relationship with his older brother is nothing like Junhong's relationship with Yongguk. Yongguk, as Junhong explains, actually _listens_ to what Junhong has to say. In fact, it was how Junhong was even able to ask Youngjae out from being scared too shitless.

"Hey Himchan," Jongup called out, knocking at his open door.

He heard Himchan hum in recognition. He saw that his older brother didn't even bother to turn around from whatever it is that Himchan is looking at.

"I… I need some advice," Jongup said, trying to figure out how to word that he wishes to be in a relationship with Himchan's ex-boyfriend/best friend.

"What do you need advice on?" Himchan asked, finally looking up from his notes.

"I was wondering what I have to do in order to… woo a guy," Jongup explained, cringing at the words he used.

"Depends on the guy. What's his personality like?" Himchan asked him.

Oh boy.

"Well, he's kind and sweet, he's a bit of an activist and he loves children. He's a bit dense, though, but everybody still loves him and he acts like a big brother to everyone," Jongup described, feeling his cheeks growing warm.

"Oh god, you're in love with Yongguk, aren't you?" Himchan accused, pointing his highlighter at him.

Jongup felt his heart stopping. No, there's no way Himchan knows.

"H-How did you know?" Jongup asked.

"Oh please. I think everybody on this block knows you're in love with him. The only one who doesn't know is Yongguk, and he's pretty oblivious to most people's feelings," Himchan answered.

"Is that… is that why you two broke up?" Jongup asked him.

"One of them, but I found out he was in love with someone else. We didn't love each other like we thought we did, so we mutually broke up. We're still best friends, even though we slept together," Himchan explained.

Okay, Jongup didn't need to know about that.

"So how do I get his attention?" Jongup asked him.

"Yongguk is a bit difficult to impress. He likes old things. Art, movies, music, etc. One time I found this really old record player and he was so ecstatic that he refused to let anybody touch it. Try to get to know him, instead of giving him weird stalker eyes," Himchan explained.

Jongup only nodded his head. He knows what to do… sort of.

\-----

Jongup felt his heart in his throat. Yongguk was watching some sort of show that Jongup is pretty sure he wouldn't be interested in. But! He has to try. He walked over to the living room and sat down next to him. He heard Junhong announce that he was going to get the game console ready in his room, and that there's no reason for Jongup to come up now.

"What are you watching?" Jongup asked.

Yongguk looked over at Jongup and gave him a soft smile.

"Voltron. One of the earlier shows. I'm trying to catch up with the old shows since it's gonna get a reboot," Yongguk explained.

Jongup heard of the reboot, but he wasn't really interested in the show. However, the graphics, even though they're old, looks interesting.

"What's it about?" Jongup asked.

He looked over at Yongguk and saw his eyes lighting up a little bit. Jongup thought he looked like a kid again, and Jongup felt so warm all over.

"I mean, it's not the only thing I like to watch. I like whatever is on my Netflix. Do you want any recommendations?" Yongguk asked him.

At this point, Jongup would watch anything in order to know more about Yongguk's preferences. He nodded his head and Yongguk began to write down some shows he believes Jongup would like. Jongup felt his heart beating rapidly and he felt a bit nervous. He heard Junhong calling his name, and Jongup waved Yongguk goodbye as he made his way upstairs.

\-----

As the weeks go by, Jongup looked at the list of recommendations of books, movies, television shows, and music. Of course, Jongup gave Yongguk come recommendations, but they were connecting. And somehow, Jongup's crush on the older was growing more and more each time he learns something about him. And it sucks because Yongguk only sees him as a younger brother or his younger brother's best friend, or his best friend's younger brother. He wants Yongguk to see him for him, not something that he knows him from.

So Jongup's plan goes into action.

The two meet up at some café that Jongup sometimes frequents. It's nothing fancy, but it is homey and it gives off a bit of a jazz sort of place.

"This place is nice! I'm surprised I haven't heard of it. Usually people hit me up on places I should visit," Yongguk said.

"It's a bit of a hole in the wall. It serves great bubble tea if you're into that," Jongup says, looking at the menu.

_Don't say anything stupid. Don't say anything stupid. Don't say-_

"I'm not a huge fan. I don't like the taste of the tapiocas in the tea," Yongguk confesses, staring at the menu.

It's okay, Jongup thinks. It's just a side step. The two are going to enjoy themselves and Jongup is going to ignore the fact that his palms are, in fact, sweating.

"Are you two ready to order?" the waitress asked them, smiling happily.

Jongup noticed that the waitress was eyeing Yongguk hungrily, and Jongup felt intense jealousy. He swallowed that down, since they weren't dating in the first place.

"I'll take the cherry bubble tea and the house sandwich please," Jongup ordered.

The waitress quickly wrote it down, and continued staring at Yongguk.

"I'll have the same, expect I'll take your iced tea please," Yongguk ordered, handing his menu over without giving her a second look.

The waitress looked disappointed. She sauntered off and Jongup was a bit impressed.

"That waitress was checking you out," Jongup pointed out. Might as well be friends with him, even if it means Yongguk gets in another relationship.

"I saw. I wasn't interested. Besides, she wasn't my type," Yongguk explained, taking a sip of his water.

"What is your type?" Jongup asked curiously.

Yongguk merely shrugged his shoulders.

"Guys like you," he answered without missing a beat.

\-----

Jongup was so close to having an anxiety attack when he got home. There has to be something that was behind those words. He slammed his older brother's door and saw Himchan pulling away quickly from a strange man on the bed.

"Is this a bad time?" Jongup asked.

Himchan sighed and whispered something to the stranger. The stranger only nodded his head and kissed Himchan's cheek before leaving his room. Jongup felt bad about this, but he didn't care.

"Yongguk said something about me, didn't he?" Jongup accused.

Himchan raised an eyebrow.

"Meaning?" Himchan asked, rolling his hand in a way to make Jongup explain more.

"He says his type is guys like me! What does he mean!" Jongup whined.

"It means he likes you, idiot. He's being subtle in the worst way possible. You have to spell it out for him you know," Himchan explained.

"Did he… the reason you guys broke up is because of me?" Jongup asked hesitantly.

"Part of it. I realized he loves you, so I broke it up because I figured my baby brother, who's had a crush on him since forever, would stand a chance," Himchan told him.

Jongup's heart is swelling up. Yongguk likes him. He actually, for real, actually likes him.

Now he must confess.

\-----

Jongup and Yongguk were at the park, staring at the ducks that were swimming around them. Jongup stared at his fingers and realized that it's not or never.

"Yongguk," Jongup started, letting the words die at his throat.

The look Yongguk gives him makes his heart skip a beat. He looks so concerned and confused. It wasn't every day that Jongup invites them to a park on a random day.

"I-I like you. A lot. I mean, I know you only see me as your younger brother's best friend. Or your best friends younger brother. But I do like you. I know you must feel some sort of way with me, but if the signs you're giving me doesn't match up, then I'll gladly be friends-"

Jongup froze when he felt a pair of lips pressed against his cheek. He looked up and saw Yongguk's face a couple of inches away from his own.

"I needed you to stop rambling," Yongguk confessed.

And then Yongguk kissed him. He actually kissed him. Jongup felt his stomach and heart doing so many different things. He kissed the older back and felt the tingles on his lips.

So _this_ is what they call love.


	28. Sunrise

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Week 28: A story that ends at sunrise.

The days were blurring together. Daehyun stared at the sky in wonder. The stars were twinkling in the rather dark sky. It was getting more difficult to see the stars.

"I thought I'd see you here," he heard a familiar voice say.

Daehyun looked up and saw Himchan standing above him. He dyed his hair again to a brilliant red. His hair was long enough to tie in a ponytail.

"You know I'd be. I don't understand why you bother searching the world to find me," Daehyun remarked as he continued staring at the stars.

"You're interesting. You habit one human in your entire living this dreaded life of yours. If I'm not mistaken, you look almost-"

"I'd appreciate you not killing my time out here looking at stars. Besides, not every demon is evil, you know! Your ignorance is showing," Daehyun points out.

Himchan only huffs and sits down next to the demon is question. Daehyun looked up and sees a rather white aura floating around him.

"For an angel, I'm surprised you stayed in one body," Daehyun points out.

"His features are rather pleasing. I'm sure you agree with that," Himchan answers, giving the demon a small smirk.

Daehyun glared at him, but said nothing. He remembered a long time ago when Himchan, still in that human body, seduced him and the two have become star-crossed lovers ever since. There were problems, of course, with the romance, but Daehyun didn't care. Himchan seemed like he didn't care either.

"One day, we'll secretly get married and it'll be a huge 'fuck you' to the entire angel and demon race," Daehyun concluded.

He heard Himchan hum in amusement. Daehyun looked over at Himchan and smiled.

"Buy me dinner first," Himchan concluded.

"Pretty sure we passed that part," Daehyun answered.

The two stayed in comfortable silence, watching the stars twinkle up at the rather dark sky. Daehyun must've fallen asleep because when he woke, he was resting on Himchan's lap, his fingers brushing his dark brown locks.

"Funny. I didn't think demons slept at all," Himchan said, amusement in his voice.

"Shut it," Daehyun told him.

If Daehyun wasn't careful, he would turn into a human, and it was one of the things that many demons feared. Yet for Daehyun, it seemed… nice.

"The sun is rising," he heard Himchan say.

Daehyun looked up and saw the glow of the sun. The stars were disappearing, and the sky was changing into a brilliant blue hue. Daehyun saw the bright orange colors flickering over the horizon.

What a beautiful sunrise.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this one is a bit short. I didn't have huge plans and decided to use something short and sweet!  
> [also pokemon go happened but lets not get into that.]


	29. Baby's First Words

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Week 29: A story opening with the words "F*** you!"

"Fuck you!"

Junhong froze. He looked at the toddler boy and stared at him. The toddler giggled as if he said something funny.

"What was that?" Junhong asked.

"Fuck you!" the toddler said again, laughing loudly.

Junhong felt his palms sweating. This wasn't good at all.

"J-Junseo, lets learn a new word, okay? Can you say daddy?" Junhong asked him, trying hard to smile.

"Fuck you!" Junseo shrieked.

Well fuck.

Junhong had to open his big mouth when he was talking to Daehyun on the phone. Mostly because Daehyun was ignoring him and then unexpectedly hung up on him. He may have said 'well fuck you then' to himself, but he didn't think his toddler would pick it up so quickly.

"Come on, please? Please say daddy," Junhong pleaded, holding onto the boy's hands.

Junseo, instead, was chewing on his father's fingers. Junhong scrunched up his nose and stared at the toddler in question. Youngjae was so gonna kill him.

"I have to think of something fast," Junhong said to himself.

The toddler then decided that he wanted out of his booster chair. Junhong picked him up and began to bounce him around a bit. He's gotta find a way to fix this before Youngjae finds out.

"I'm home!" he heard Youngjae call out.

Speak of the devil.

"Hey, Youngjae!" Junhong greeted.

Junhong quickly stuffed a pacifier into Junseo's mouth to make sure that he doesn't say anything. A soft muffled 'fuck you' was heard, and it seemed Youngjae heard it, too.

"What was that?" Youngjae asked.

"Nothing!" Junhong answered rather quickly.

Youngjae gave his husband a rather skeptical look. He held onto Junseo, trying to get him out of Junhong's grasp. Youngjae took the pacifier out of Junseo's mouth and Junseo stared at the pacifier in question. He then looked up and smiled happily to see his other father.

"Fuck you!" Junseo screeched happily.

Junhong cringed and looked at Youngjae's expression. He was expecting some yelling, or some sort of explanation as to why their one-year-old toddler is screaming out a curse word in front of him. Instead, however, he got a different reaction.

Youngjae began to laugh.

Like, a genuine, almost crying sort of laughter. Youngjae had to set Junseo down on the floor and continued laughing.

"Wait, you aren't mad?" Junhong asked him.

"Of course I'm mad! I'm pissed! But I can't help but laugh at this situation! Let me catch my breath before I decide to strangle you," Youngjae says.

Well, at least Junhong could live another day.


	30. In Love With A Fairytale

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Weel 30: A story about a magical object.

At the age of eighteen, young witches and wizards choose stories that transport themselves into the stories. It helps them build character and learn about certain magic abilities that they would acquire once their story is finished.

When Jongup turns eighteen, he has trouble figuring out his own power.

Jongup, even though he has magical powers, he's still picked on for being the weakest wizard, and that he's more human than wizard. Jongup usually ignores them and continues his own studies in order to become stronger. For his sake and his parents. When he turns eighteen, he, along with his classmates, enter the magical library to pick out a book for themselves to see what their story ends up being. Many students have already picked out their books just by running their fingers through it. Jongup, however, just stared at the covers intently and saw that none of them interested him. He began to browse the books towards the back and saw a pile of forgotten books on a shelf that looked like it's been collecting dust. He looked through the pile and touched one by accident. The touch, however, felt strong and he felt a rush of power.

He grabbed the book and made his way towards his group.

"Has everybody picked a book out?" their professor asked.

Everybody nodded. Jongup heard some snickers from his usual bullies, and a small whisper using his name. He ignored it and focused on his professor. She was explaining about how one must chose the book they believe will help them grow into the person they will become. She then explained how one enters the book, by stroking the spine of the book and whispering 'let me come inside your world'. Jongup saw the students copying their professor and are already inside the book world. Jongup followed and felt himself being sucked into the world.

\-----

The story was brilliant. So much was happening and it made Jongup's head spin. He never saw anything like it. He looked up into the sky and saw a dragon flying overhead, with several people resting on his back while the dragon flew towards a different city. It looked so familiar, yet he felt rather uneasy.

"Excuse me, young man! Would you like to test out our new products?" an old woman asked.

Jongup looked to see were the woman called out and saw a cart filled with special herbs that Jongup could instantly tell were fake. He ignored the woman and kept walking. The woman didn't seem pleased, but she then began to haggle another customer. Jongup looked all around d him and saw a shop that he would seem interested. He entered inside and immediately smelled the incense that the shop was filled with. Inside the shop, it held many different orbs and crystals that he needed.

"Can I help you?" a deep v9ice asked.

Jongup looked up from his browsing and saw what looked to be the owner of this establishment. The male was a bit taller than him, with black hair and tailored clothes. His facial expression sort of scared him.

"S-sorry. Just looking," Jongup answered, smiling hesitantly at the man.

The man said nothing. His eyes held some sort of power that Jongup is sort of afraid of.

"You're not from around here, are you?" the man asked.

Shit, his professor did warn to not let anyone know that they were from another world, and that these people are mostly characters from an unwritten book.

"I am! I live not too far-"

"I know," the man stated, staring at Jongup.

He knows? How does one know? There were rules about revealing to the characters of a story about the stories.

"Someone accidentally told me years ago. It's been a while since someone stopped inside. Tell me, what is the outside like?" the man asked.

Jongup was a bit confused. Was this a test? Was someone playing some cruel joke on him?

"It's… sunny, with clouds floating across the sky," Jongup answered.

"That's obvious. I meant what is it like? What are the people like? What's the magic like? Give me something new that doesn't involve the weather," the man explained.

"The people are still using magic. There's a new study that there may be people who don't know magic due to weak breeding, but that's just statistics. Magic is still strange in some way. Being outside feels like one must always guard themselves whenever possible," Jongup answered.

The man stared at him, with curiosity in his eyes.

"I'm Yongguk. I'm the hero of this story that you're following," Yongguk introduced.

"Jongup. The one who has to figure out what my purpose of magic is supposed to be," Jongup answered.

"Well, you picked a horrible story. I pretty much know what's going to happen, and how it's going to end," Yongguk explained.

"You do?" Jongup asked.

Jongup could hear the soft tinkling of the crystals lightly hitting each other.

"Of course. I think I'm the first to know," Yongguk says.

"What happens? At the end of your story?" Jongup asked curiously.

Yongguk was silent. He looked at the door, to see if anyone would listen.

"I die at the end."

\-----

Normally, Jongup was supposed to leave his book back at the library that he got it from, but he couldn't contain himself. He has to know. How does Yongguk die? Apparently it varies between the magicians and the story itself. He wants to know how Yongguk knows about his existence, how he dies, and what he's going in order to stop it.

"Let me come into your world," Jongup whispered.

It wasn't the exact words, but it got him back inside the book. He looked around to find the crystal shop that he found earlier. He found it easily, but he noticed new shops opening up right next to him. That was strange. He entered the crystal shop and looked around. There were new colored crystals in the shop that Jongup hasn't noticed before. He turned around and saw Yongguk flipping through a book.

"You came back," Yongguk muttered, turning a page.

"I have questions," Jongup confessed.

"They always do. So tell me. What are your questions," Yongguk asked, setting his book down.

"Well, first… how did you know? About your story?" Jongup asked.

"It was an accident. My story revolves around magic and fairytales. I was supposed to storm the forbidden castle to slay the dragon, but someone ran me down and stopped me. When I asked them what they were doing, they claimed that I was going to die. I didn't believe them, until I did die when I sacrificed myself to the dragon. It wasn't until I was back in the crystal shop did I notice what the person was talking about," Yongguk answered.

"The person that stopped you. Did you know who it was?" Jongup asked.

He saw Yongguk having something in his eye. It must've been a fond memory. Or a rather distant memory.

"He stopped me because he fell in love with me when he entered that crystal shop. He said he would do anything he could in order to find a way to free me. And yet, here I am. Stuck in a book that will forever kill me. He was my friend, and I destroyed him," Yongguk answered.

That seemed a bit intense for Jongup's liking. But the look on Yongguk's face looks disappointed.

"How many came through? After him?" Jongup asked.

"Six. Before one decided to ask questions about what I know. I guess they placed me somewhere where people shouldn't touch. It seems that you didn't follow the rules," Yongguk answered.

Jongup saw Yongguk standing up. He walked towards Jongup and gave him what looked like a crystal necklace. It was white, with a hint of green towards the tip.

"You need to promise me something," Yongguk requested.

Jongup looked up and saw the eyes of what looked to be a broken man.

"You can't fall in love with me. No matter the circumstances or whatever it is that you're feeling. I'm fictional and anything you try to do will have consequences," Yongguk warned.

Jongup grabbed the crystal and put it on.

"Believe me, I don't plan on it," Jongup answered.

\-----

As the months go by, Jongup has been spending more time in the book instead of actually learning his magic. He felt more at home in the book than he has in the real world where he's judged if he can hold a lit candle in the air. He's so tired and he wants to enjoy himself the best that he could. So that meant spending more time in the book world with Yongguk.

Now, this is where it's getting tricky for Jongup.

Jongup has promised Yongguk that he wouldn't fall in love with him, that whatever feelings he would develop would never happen.

Well that train has left the station.

As the months kept passing by and the more he's getting to know Yongguk, the more he finds it hard to fulfill his promise. He wants to make sure that Yongguk is fine, that he has someone to talk to. Apparently, after Yongguk found out about how he's a character in a story, he gets bored pretty easily and can never seem to have a conversation with the other characters. Especially when they're not there.

"So is it always this quiet? When I'm not around?" Jongup asked, playing around with the crystal necklace.

"Usually. I don't get any customers and people seem to ignore me. Eventually, I'll be called to take battle and I'll rightfully volunteer, although part of me doesn't want to," Yongguk explained.

Jongup hummed in thought. Something about this needs to be said.

"I can re-write your story, you know. The book is blank. I can re-write it," Jongup offered.

"Thanks, but I don't think so. Either way, I die. That's what is supposed to make you into the person you're supposed to be. If I die, you'll understand the true power of humanity and mortality. That everything, eventually, must die. So go ahead and re-write my story. Some way or another, I will die," Yongguk explained.

Jongup only pouted. He never knew Yongguk to be such a downer. But Jongup was going to try anyway!

He just needs the help.

\-----

"No," Youngjae answered.

Jongup let out a whine and followed his friend when he walked away.

"Please! I need help! How can you re-write a story where the character doesn't die?" Jongup asked again.

"If you're talking about our assigned story we were never supposed to take out of the library, then I can't help you. No one has ever rewritten a story that ends happily. Almost all the stories end in tragedy," Youngjae explained.

"But there has to be a way! I mean, you met Junhong through-"

Jongup's words were soon muffled out as Youngjae magicked his lips shut.

"I told you never to speak of it. Now, I'm going to unseal your lips, but you must never talk about what happened," Youngjae warned.

Jongup only nodded his head. He saw Youngjae wave his hand and Jongup's mouth was free.

"There has to be something. Please?" Jongup pleaded.

He heard Youngjae sigh and finally nodded his head.

"Alright, fine! But you must swear to never utter a word about this to anyone. Got it?" Youngjae asked.

Jongup, again, nodded his head. He saw Youngjae moving his head closer in order for this to be a secret.

"There's an old tradition for some students to do. Before the story ends, one must burn the book, but it has to be right before the death scene happens," Youngjae explained.

Jongup furrowed his eyebrows. "What do you mean before?" Jongup asked.

"I mean a chapter away from death. You have to get out before the eventual death happens. But there is an order. There has to be a confession, a kiss, and a love in return. If none of them are met, then the story is finished. The burning is over and there's nothing to be done," Youngjae answered.

"How do I know it worked?" Jongup asked.

"The smoke usually has the color that the book is binded to. That's the color you want. What's the color you have?" Youngjae asked.

"Purple."

"Then you must find the purple smoke. Now, I told you everything I know. You can't repeat what I just said, got it," Youngjae said.

Jongup nodded his head with a huge smile on his face.

Now he knows how to save Yongguk.

\-----

When Jongup got back into the book world, Yongguk was holding a letter in his hand. Jongup already knows.

"We're training in three weeks' time. For you, it'll probably be a day. But I'm going back into the war. I'm going to die," Yongguk confessed, staring at the letter like it was poisonous.

Jongup was about to open his mouth to explain his plan, but he remembered the words Youngjae told him before he set foot back in the book world. Yongguk mustn't know about this at all. Even though he so desperately wants to.

"Who knows! Maybe you'll survive this one," Jongup said.

"Psh. I highly doubt it, but thanks for the vote of confidence," Yongguk said.

Jongup sighed and watched as Yongguk entered the back of the shop. Now all Jongup as to do is wait until the infamous battle happens. One that deals with the dragon.

\-----

A few days went by. Yongguk was right about the speed of the book to time ratio. It took him a few days before he reached the warfront. This is where Jongup must confess.

"Tomorrow we fight the dragon. This is where I give myself up for the greater good," Yongguk explained.

"Yongguk, there's… there's something I have to say," Jongup started off, already afraid of where this was going.

Yongguk looked over at Jongup to hear what Jongup has to say.

"I know I promised not to fall in love with you, but it grew difficult and-"

"Jongup, stop. You're not in love with me. You're in love with the idea of me," Yongguk told him.

Jongup snapped his head up.

"That's not true at all! I do love you! You're the only one who has shown me kindness, even though my powers are very weak. I love you, okay! And I don't need someone like you to tell me how I should or shouldn't feel," Jongup argued, feeling his cheeks redden.

"Jongup-"

"No! And I know you feel the same way about me! I saw the glances you would steal when I'm not looking. And… and the fact that you gave me a cake for my birthday, something no one else has done before! So… So please don't tell me I'm wrong," Jongup pleaded.

Yongguk was silent. Jongup still heard the chatter of the men, but it was mostly about the war, and what they would do if they win. Yongguk stood up and placed his hands on Jongup's cheeks.

"We can't fall in love. I've warned you," Yongguk stated.

"I know, but I have a plan! You just need to trust me," Jongup confessed.

Yongguk sighed and leaned his forehead against the younger's.

"I do love you. So much. Just like I fell in love with the others. I'm starting to understand Calypso's pain on her island. If you do have a plan, then I do trust you," Yongguk says.

Jongup smiled softly. He plants a soft kiss on Yongguk's lips. Everything around him was silent, yet there was a sort of buzz, too. Jongup pulled away and saw Yongguk smiled down at him. Jongup held onto his crystal and waved goodbye.

"I'll see you on the other side," Yongguk said.

\-----

Jongup landed hard on the wooden floor. He rubbed his back lightly and saw Youngjae setting the book on fire already. The book screamed in pain, and then silence. The book burned into ash and all was left was smoke.

He noted that the smoke was purple.

\-----

"It's been three years. It usually takes this long," Youngjae explained.

Jongup says nothing. It's been so long since he saw Yongguk. He plays around with his crystal necklace and stares out the window.

"When you burned your book, what was meeting Junhong like?" Jongup asked.

"Confusing. He didn't know me at first. And then we got to know each other and he started to remember little by little. That's how your character will be like," Youngjae explained.

Jongup sighed and continued staring at the window.

"Excuse me, is it okay if I sit here? I need a place to sit," a familiar voice asked.

Jongup looked up and saw Yongguk's shy, smiling figure. He looked exactly the same, except with glasses, hair a mess, and clothes that seemed to big on him.

"Sure. Actually, I was just leaving. See ya," Youngjae said, getting up from his seat and leaving the room.

Jongup glared at his friend, but the glare soon passed when he saw Yongguk sitting across from him.

"I'm Yongguk. I'm a bit new here," Yongguk introduced, rubbing his neck from embarrassment.

"Jongup. I have a feeling that we'll be great friends."


	31. Beauty in the Water, Angel on the Beach

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Week 31: A story set at sea.

The sound of the waves crashing against the sand was music to Daehyun's ears. It was so familiar, and yet so hypnotizing to say the least. It reminded him of him. The familiar smell of the salt water reached his nose as he took the air around him.

"My prince!" a familiar voice called out.

Daehyun groaned and laid down on the sand. He looked up and saw an upside-down Youngjae walking towards him.

"My prince! We've been looking everywhere for you," Youngjae told him, his head blocking the sun.

"I just went outside and all of a sudden, the world has gone mad. What is it this time?" Daehyun asked.

Youngjae gave a huff of annoyance.

"The princesses have arrived. They wish to have an audience with you in order to choose your next bride," Youngjae answered.

Daehyun groaned. This was exactly the reason as to why he left the castle in the first place.

"I don't want to! I'm not even interested in girls!" Daehyun whined.

He felt his body being lifted up from the sand. He let out a groan as Youngjae attempted to stand Daehyun upright. Daehyun sighed and stared at his best friend in annoyance.

"You might not be interested in girls, but your parents don't seem to care. They wish for you to marry before your next birthday," Youngjae told him.

"Why won't they bug Yongguk about this? He's next in line for the throne! I don't see why they have to bug me about it," Daehyun whined as the two began to walk away from the beach.

"Yongguk is in love with the seamstress's son. You and I both know that it wouldn't fair well with your parents, so they dismissed him and focused on you," Youngjae explained.

Daehyun knew the answer. He just refuses to believe the fact that their parents ignored their oldest because he fell in love with a boy. It was dumb, especially in their kingdom where love is love and nothing id judged. Daehyun decided that his parents simply need an heir, which is ridiculous because there is adoption.

The two made their way towards the castle and saw about five different girls cooing and giggling at the youngest prince. Daehyun was beginning to feel a bit uncomfortable. The two entered inside and Daehyun could hear his footsteps echoing all around the room. His parents were sitting on their thrones, with four princesses waiting.

"How nice of you to show, Daehyun," his mother greeted sarcastically.

"Sorry, mother. I was occupied with something," Daehyun said.

His mother gave him a look that Daehyun knew that meant that they would talk later, but Daehyun is in no mood to converse whatever it is his mother believes him doing.

"Now, Daehyun. These bright young women are here for your appearance. Please converse with them in order to choose your bride," his father said.

Daehyun looked at the girls in question. They seemed older than him. Maybe a few years older, but Daehyun felt a bit weird about this. The girls gave him a tight smile that indicates that they don't want to be here either. And Daehyun doesn't blame them.

"Princess Hyosung of Harem. Princess Sunhwa of Forrester. Princess Hana of Eden. Princess Jieun of Canes," someone announced.

Daehyun stared at them and felt rather uncomfortable. He really didn't want to do this, especially with so much pressure. He stared at his parents again, and then at Youngjae.

"Any day now," the king said.

"Actually, I'm gonna go with Youngjae at this point. Make him my fiancé and be done with it," Daehyun said jokingly.

The king and queen didn't look pleased. The girls, however, looked a bit relaxed.

"If you don't decide, we will decide for you. Believe us, Daehyun, we will," the queen threatened.

Daehyun didn't mind. Less pressure for him to decide on a potential wife that he really wasn't all too interested in.

\-----

Daehyun stared at the starry night sky. His parents decided to choose for him and chose Hana of Eden. They were to be wed in one months' time. He sighed and stared at the sea. It was gorgeous under the starry night sky. Especially with a full moon.

Suddenly, he saw movement. He furrowed his eyebrows and saw movement near the pier. He left the ledge and began to find his way out of the castle. He ventured towards the sea and saw a figure near the deck. He inched closer and saw a fish tail attached to the man, with a spear through it.

Okay, this was beginning to look bad.

"Hey, hey buddy? You okay?" Daehyun called out.

The creature looked up and glared, baring his teeth as if to look threatening. His eyes were glowing yellow and his teeth actually did look a little bit sharp. However, it was the tail that Daehyun was worried about.

"Hey, can you understand me? Maybe you understand through the tone of stress. Okay, I'm going to get you to safety," Daehyun said as slowly as possible.

The creature still glared at him, but soon slumped on the sand. Daehyun quickly grabbed hold of him and decided to move him inside the castle. Preferably in one of his rather larger tubs. He quickly, yet quietly, moved him inside the castle into one of the larger rooms that hardly anybody used because one time Daehyun started a rumor that the bedroom was haunted. It was dumb, but the servants believed it and refused to step inside now. Daehyun set the creature inside the bathtub and turned the water on. He stared at the spear in question. Who would hurt one of the more magnificent creatures? Probably someone from the outer lands.

He heard the creature stir and look up. He looked panicked when Daehyun had his hands placed on the spear.

"Hey, it's okay! I got a first aid kit. I'm gonna take the spear out and clean up your wound," Daehyun assured him.

The creature stared at him as Daehyun gave him a towel to bite on.

"Trust me, you'll need to bite on this," Daehyun told him.

Without warning, Daehyun yanked the spear out of the creature's fin. The creature let a muffled cry and gripped the bathtub. Daehyun set the spear aside and began to dress the wound. It didn't look too bad. However, the creature looked like he was in pain.

"Can I ask for your name?" Daehyun asked the merman.

The merman stared at him and said nothing.

"Not the conversing type huh? It's okay, no big deal. I can name you if you want. How do you feel about the name Scales?" Daehyun asked.

"H-Himchan," the merman answered.

His voice sounded rough and hardly used. At least Daehyun got him into talking.

"Himchan? That's a nice name. Did you wash ashore?" Daehyun asked as he finished putting on the last bandage on the tail.

"Attacked," he answered.

One word answers. Daehyun could deal with that.

"By sailors?"

Himchan nodded his head.

"Okay, well, I'm gonna let you rest. Your wound doesn't look too bad, but we'll have to look at it in the morning. I'll be back in the morning," Daehyun assured him.

He left the bathroom and went into his own room. Man, what a weird day.

\-----

As the days' pass, Himchan's tail began to heal itself, leaving a rather small scar on his tail where the spear hit. Daehyun also has been getting to know the merman personally. Although they were one worded answers, he still got enough information to understand him.

And then the wedding preparations.

"Need I remind you of the fact that you're next in line? You can't miss this," Youngjae informed him.

"Yeah, yeah," Daehyun muttered, glaring at the color scheme the wedding designer picked out. They were horrendous colors, but they were colors that his parents picked out for him.

"Can we just get married in a court room and be done with it?" Daehyun asked his parents one time.

It wasn't the right question to ask and Daehyun got scolded for it. As he's staring at the paintings and different options, all he could think about was the merman in the bathtub. Himchan was getting stronger with his fin, but it's time to release him back into the ocean. He needs to be back with his friends and family, even though it pains Daehyun a bit.

The preparations are done and Daehyun began to walk towards the bathroom. It was time to set Himchan free.

"Hey there, buddy! It's time for you to go back into the ocean," Daehyun told him.

Himchan didn't look at all amused. Which seemed to be the expression that Himchan gave him for some odd reason.

"Okay! Plan is that we get you out at night so that way you can't be detected by the other people in the castle," Daehyun told him.  
"Someone already knows," Himchan muttered out, resting his chin on top of his hands.

Well that's new.

"Someone knows? Who?" Daehyun asked.

Himchan pointed his finger towards the door. Daehyun turned around and saw the seamstress's son. Jongup.

"Daehyun, why is there a merman in your bathtub?" Jongup asked him.

"It is a rather long story. Now, you can help me get him to the ocean!" Daehyun said, rather excitedly.

Jongup raised an eyebrow, but shook his head.

"No can do. Your brother is taking me on a date tonight. Sorry, but you're on your own," Jongup told him.

Jongup soon walked out of the bathroom, leaving Daehyun with the merman.

"Well, that was pointless," Daehyun said.

He heard laughter. He turned his head and saw Himchan smiling, which was a bit new. He looked… handsome.

\-----

Night came. Daehyun wheeled Himchan on a metal dolly that he found in the servants' quarters. He made it outside and began to carry Himchan towards the beach, which was a bit difficult because the tail weighed more than he thought.

Finally, Daehyun successfully set Himchan into the sea, letting Himchan enjoy the saltwater washing over his body. However, it didn't seem that Himchan was willing to leave.

"You're free! You can leave now!" Daehyun told him.

"You helped me. In my culture, the help we receive is given in return a wish. Do you have a wish?" Himchan asked him.

Daehyun had so many. He wanted to leave his family so much. Let Yongguk rule the country with Jongup by his side. The world needs that couple to rule. But he also wants to stay with Himchan.

"I wish to stay by your side," Daehyun blurted out.

He saw Himchan standing up and his face just inches from his own.

"Your wish is my command," Himchan whispered, placing his lips over Daehyun's mouth.

The kiss tasted salty, yet it felt so refreshing. He felt some sort of power surge through him. He felt a loss of balance and the urge to dive into the ocean. Himchan carefully set Daehyun in the ocean and the two swam away, living their lives together in harmony.


	32. The Cause, The Kid, The Course, The Charm, and The Curse

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Week 32: A story about a curse.

When Jongup was younger, he pissed off a witch. On accident, of course. He was playing some game that he couldn’t remember and the ball accidentally hit the witch in the back of the head. Now, Jongup has apologized so many times that he lost count. The witch however, ignored him and decided to place a curse on him. The curse indicated that Jongup will transform into a creature when the sun rises, and return into human when the sun sets.

When Jongup returned home, the curse began. He felt weird all over. As soon as he entered the house, he began to sprout fur and tail. He could hear his mother screaming in fright when he saw Jongup transforming. When night fell, he explained what happened to his mom. So his mother made sure that he still lives a normal life. Jongup went to night school to get his education, only worked the night shift, and always made sure no one saw him when he did transform. He was living his life comfortably.

Of course, everything must have consequences.

As Jongup continues to live with the curse, he began to see how old and frail his mother is, and yet Jongup doesn’t seem to be aging at all. When his mother died, he mourned for her. But it also meant that he’s homeless. So Jongup knew he could sort of use this to his advantage. He would cat around during the day, try to find food from his adopted homes that he would stay at, and then work during the da. He worked rather odd jobs during the night, but it was enough to put food in his stomach. It was the shelter that worried him more. Being human was easy. He could walk around, have conversations with strangers, and ask a friend if he could crash at their place. It gets confusing when there's a black kitten out of nowhere in the apartment.

One day, however, Jongup's life changes faster than he realized.

It was daytime. Jongup was a small kitten that just left the old woman's house that likes to give him canned food. He entered into an alleyway to find somewhere to sleep, when he heard growling. Jongup felt his ears flatten and his tail between his legs. He looks up and sees two rather mean dogs.

"Well lookie here. It's a baby kitten," one of the dogs cooed.

"Long way for you, kitten. Say, you look mighty tasty," the second growled.

Jongup tried to make himself small. He didn't want to be anywhere near them. Suddenly, he hears a voice. A human voice. He looks up and sees the dogs running away. Jongup looks up and sees his savior. Tall, shaggy black hair, and loose fitting clothes.

"Hey. You're okay," the man cooed, lifting the kitten up.

The human had a deep voice. Even though the voice was deep, it was soothing. He curled up against the human's chest.

"Let's get you checked up on. Maybe I can convince my roommate to adopt you," the human said, petting the kitten softly.

\-----

After being looked over and concluding that Jongup is, in fact, healthy, it took several attempts for the human (Yongguk) to convince his roommate to adopt him. Jongup stared at the two in wonder, wearing a small blue collar. This wasn't good for him. The color will grow with him when he turns human, but he needs to remember to take it off when he works as the bartender. Which, incidentally, isn't too far where Yongguk lives.

"You don't know anything about that cat, Yongguk! What if it has fleas or rabies?" his roommate questioned.

"I took him to the vet to get him checked. He's clean and he has his shots," Yongguk stated.

"What about when he gets older? Are you going to neuter him?" the roommate asked.

"He's took young! The vet said that once the kitten is a couple of months older, then I can neuter him. Otherwise, he's perfectly fine," Yongguk concluded.

The roommate humphed in annoyance, but reluctantly agreed. Jongup found a new permanent home. He loves the other families, but this one is his own. One that he can possibly keep.

He'll just have to figure out how he will transform into his human self.

\-----

The first day of his new home, Jongup was given the new name of Jinx. He likes it. It's similar to his name anyway. He began to get familiar with the smell of the apartment, so that he doesn't lose his way. As night begins to fall, Jongup paws at the door to be led out. Yongguk, rather hesitantly, agrees and opens the door. Jongup rushes out and plays around in the grass. He needs to let Yongguk know that he's fine, that there's nothing to worry about. He's more worried about the fact that Yongguk will peak outside the window to see Jongup transforming.

A couple of minutes later, he sees Yongguk closing the curtains, which gives Jongup his chance to dart away and transform.

The transformation is never easy for Jongup. It still takes some getting used to, but he's somewhat mastered it. He stills keeps his clothes, which is a plus. He walked towards the bar and begins his shift.

\-----

Jongup returns to the house easily than he thought. He picks the lock and enters inside. He gently closes the door, locks it, and sighs in relief. He transforms into his black cat form when the sun begins to set. He makes his way towards where he believes Yongguk's room is. He paws the door open and slips inside. He jumps onto the bed and settles in. He falls asleep rather quickly. Today was a rather busy day at the club that he works at. He's so glad that he's good at his job, or else he would be in trouble.

"Hey, what are you doing here? And who let you in?" he heard Yongguk question, gently petting Jongup's head.

Jongup let out a soft cry of annoyance. He attempted to glare at him, but it only earned him a chuckle from his human. He felt himself being lifted from the warm blankets and into another room. Yongguk gently set Jongup down into the living room, where the huge television is. Jongup looks up at Yongguk, confused as to what is going on.

"I usually get up this early. Thank god you woke me, or else I would've been late. Now, I need to prepare breakfast and my lunch for the day," Yongguk said.

He turns on the television screen and on comes the news. Jongup settles himself onto the couch rather quickly and stares at the television. He could hear Yongguk messing around in the kitchen with interest. Before Jongup could settle into sleep again, he heard the roommate emerge.

"God, that fur ball is back," he hears the roommate mutter.

Jongup let out a hiss at him, which earns a glare from the roommate.

"Himchan, be nice. Jinx has feelings," Yongguk warns.

Jongup likes Yongguk.

"Jinx is a cat. He doesn't have feelings," Himchan argued, taking his plate and going to sit down and eat.

Jongup ignores Himchan as he continues to get some rest.

"Hey, did you let Jinx inside the house?" he heard Yongguk ask.

"Why would I let your stupid cat inside the house and five in the morning?" Himchan questioned.

And Jongup instantly fell asleep.

\-----

As the months wore on, Yongguk realized that Jongup is never going to grow up. Jongup continued to go through life as a human and a cat. His charade is actually going nicely. Until one day…

"Jongup! I need three jaegar shots pronto," Junhong, his bartender buddy, called out.

Jongup began to create the jaegar shots and have them to Junhong. He looks up and freezes. He spots Yongguk and Himchan, and some other person that he doesn't recognize. At first, Jongup thought it was a human sized cat, until he realized that he's actually human.

"Jongup, you okay?" he heard Jieun ask him.

"Oh, I'm fine. I thought I saw something," Jongup says, smiling weakly.

Jieun gave him a look, but said nothing. Jongup continued making drinks, subconsciously making eyes at the table he's trying to avoid. It wasn't until his eyes connect with Yongguk and he quickly turns away. He can't give hints. Like, at all.

"Hey Jongup, some guy over there has been making eyes at you. Do you want me to bring him over here?" Junhong asked him.

Yes. "No, that's fine," Jongup answered.

Jongup was beginning to feel his heart flutter. He didn't know if it was because of Yongguk himself and how he's been so kind to his cat form, or how his human eyes are taking him what his cat eyes couldn't. He's so handsome, with tattoos on his body and a well fitted shirt on. If anything, Jongup was ready to let Yongguk have him if it weren't for the fact that he'll turn into a cat in a couple of hours.

"Well, he gave me his number to give to you. Said to call him anytime," Junhong said, handing him over a paper napkin.

Jongup accepted the napkin hesitantly. He stared at the numbers on the napkin and bit his lip.

"Besides, you're off anyway," Jieun told him.

Jongup furrowed his eyebrows. It wasn't four, though. Jieun only gave him a wink and pushed him out of the bar. He looked over at Yongguk, who saw some sort of longing on his face. Why does Jongup get the impression that Yongguk has been here before?

After Yongguk got up and decided to chat with Jongup, the two made it back to Yongguk's apartment and let the night dance around their fingertips.

\-----

Jongup stared at the blankets in question. He's had plenty of one night stands before. Some he left as a kitten. This time, however, was different. Yongguk is his owner. He can't leave. It's part of his curse, unfortunately. He tried to rack his brain what the witch told him when he was younger, but everything was mostly drawing a blank. He turned his body and sees Yongguk's sleeping face. He takes a deep breath as he feels himself shift into his kitten form. He gently paws on Yongguk's face to wake him up. To him, he's just a cat that wants to be bed, but he wants Yongguk to know that Jongup isn't someone to rely on.

"Oh… he left," Yongguk said, a bit disappointing.

Jongup looked down on the floor and saw that only Yongguk's clothes were there. Jongup got down from the bed, letting Yongguk have some privacy. Hopefully this will be a onetime thing.

\-----

It isn't.

Every night, Yongguk comes looking for Jongup like a moth to a flame. Even though Jongup has told Yongguk thousands of times to leave him alone, Jongup can't help but fall into Yongguk's arms as well. And every morning, Yongguk tries to wake himself earlier to catch him, but it always ends up being Jongup as Jinx.

"It's not you. It's just… I think I'm falling in love with him. I've been asking him out on dates, but he's been ignoring them for a while. I don't know, am I acting silly?" Yongguk asks him as a cat.

Jongup paws at Yongguk's nose for an answer. Yongguk only smiles and kisses Jongup's small paw.

"You're right. I'll ask him again. Hopefully it'll be the last time," Yongguk concludes.

Jongup sighs to himself and sees Yongguk getting up and getting ready. Jongup only hopes that this doesn't end in disaster.

And then one day, Yongguk catches him.

Jongup accidentally fell asleep in Yongguk's arms, safe and tucked away in dreams. He thought that he could transform into his cat form before Yongguk wakes up, but it doesn't seem to be that way. When Jongup began his transformation, he wakes up and sees Yongguk staring down at him, like he's grown four heads.

"What…?"

Oh, Jongup has a lot of explaining to do.

\-----

When night falls, Jongup transforms into his human self and watches Yongguk fiddling around with something on his neck.

"Alright, I'm listening," Yongguk said.

"When I was younger, I got cursed by a witch on something I did accidentally. I don't know what my curse contains of or how I could break it. Believe me, I tried everything. I even looked up how to get rid of it, but it turned up nothing. So I live my day as a cat, and my night as a human. I didn't mean for it to get this far," Jongup explained.

Yongguk listened.

"I don't know. Maybe it's for someone to love you as a cat and a human?" Yongguk offered.

"If you're thinking of yourself, I don't think so. You're in lust with me. You love with idea of me. You don't actually love me," Jongup concluded.

"And how do you know? I have been loving you for a rather long time. We got to know each other every time we hook up. I know your favorite color is green, you love anything spicy, and your body moves to the beat so I know you're a dancer. Come on, please give it a try?" Yongguk pleaded.

Jongup sighed, but nodded his head. He felt Yongguk's body close to his and giving him a sweet and tender kiss. This kiss was different from the other kisses. While those kisses were about hunger and dominance, this one showed that he cared and wanted him to be safe. Jongup began to kiss him back, and felt something inside him glow. It felt like a weight has been lifted off his shoulder.

"Now what?" Jongup asked.

"Well, now I need to look for a new cat," Yongguk joked.


	33. One More Troubled Soul

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Week 33: A story set 100 years in the future.

The city lights shone brightly through the humid night sky. Daehyun kept looking behind his back, making sure that there's nobody behind him. Glowing billboards flashing every new advertisement every five minutes, people changing their outfit color every three seconds because it 'wasn't the trend'. Daehyun reached into his pocket and felt the heavy emeralds weighing in his hand.

"You! Stop right there!" a voice called out.

Daehyun sprinted away from the voice, hearing the officers calling for backup on a runner. Daehyun took a good look at his surroundings and tried to find something to use. He spotted a hover motorcycle parked idly by in front of a biker gang.

"I need to borrow this, thanks!" Daehyun said quickly.

He got on, turned it on, and began to start it up.

"Hey, that's mine!" a male voice pointed out.

Daehyun ignored him as the motorcycle sped away from the biker gang. He could hear the police cars chasing after him, but a hover cycle was much faster. He quickly sped away, only to turn his head to see if he lost them. He cursed to himself when he saw one of the police officers with a blue and white hover cycle speeding right behind him.

"Pull over!" the officer ordered.

Daehyun made a sharp right and continued speeding down the street, hearing cars honking at him as he passed by. The officer's bike was fast, no doubt, but Daehyun was faster. He cranked up the speed and felt the wind rushing through his face and hair.

"I will not ask this again, Jung Daehyun. Pull over or face the consequences," the officer ordered.

Daehyun only turned his head and flipped him off. It was enough to agitate the officer, and Daehyun knew exactly who was chasing after him. He sped down the street with the officer hot on his tail. He made a sharp left, but he didn't anticipate the turn. He slammed the bike against the wall, injuring his right shoulder and damaging the engine just a bit. He tried starting it up again, but cursed to himself when the officer parked right in front of him.

"You don't like making my job any easier, don't you?" the officer questioned.

"Oh Himchan, you know I like to make it difficult for you," Daehyun told him, smirking.

Himchan rolled his eyes through the black helmet. He took it off and set it down, then made his way to Daehyun and cuffed his hands together.

"I swear to god, I will make sure that you get put in prison for life," Himchan muttered.

"That's not the magic word~" Daehyun sang out.

Himchan gritted his teeth. "You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say or do can and will be used against you."

Daehyun felt himself pulled out of the street and into one of the cop cars. He was forced into one of the cars and heard the door slam beside him. He looked up and saw Himchan talking to one of his officers about something or another, something he didn't really care about. He felt the laser cuffs against his skin and every time he fidgeted a little, he could smell his skin burning. He looked up again and saw the words 'jail' and 'life'. This was his third strike, so he wasn't surprised at all.

\-----

"Seeing as how you only stole one emerald, costing about twenty credits and therefore useless, I hereby sentence you to thirty days in jail with community service," the judge announced.

"Your honor, that is an unfair service," the lawyer against him claimed.

"If the emerald was more than fifty credits, than maybe it would've been more, or if Jung Daehyun stole more than one emerald, but it's a useless gem. They all are. There's really no use in turning in a man when he stole something worthless," the judge explained.

"Your honor, this is ridiculous. He stole a bike, resisted arrest, stole a gem, and a couple of years back, stole a priceless artifact," the lawyer argued.

"An artifact that was soon discovered a fake. The reason he even have thirty days in jail _and_ community service is for the stolen bike and resisting arrest. Now I don't want to hear it, Mr. Bang. Court is dismissed and Mr. Jung will now serve his sentence," the judge declared, banging his gavel.

Daehyun turned and saw Himchan glaring at him. The legal court system has changed so much over the last hundred years, and Daehyun is oh so very thankful for that. He got up and let the jail officers escort him to his cell. It was gonna suck, though, because he hates being in the jail system and would rather serve community service right now, but he'll be in there for two weeks, not start any fights, and he'll get out on good behavior and only spend two weeks of community service.

Daehyun knows how the system works, pretty much.

\-----

Just like he predicted, he was able to leave prison in two weeks and was now stuck on community service. It was basic; work in a library with no pay and he'll survive just fine. Plus, the people at the library love him.

"I see you're back again, Daehyun," Jongup said, an annoyance laced with his words.

"Yeah. Your husband tried to fight the legal system," Daehyun told him, taking a stack of books and began to shelve them.

"That reminds me, the judge told the library that you can't serve your community service here anymore," Jongup told him, taking the books back.

"What? Why not?" Daehyun questioned.

"Youngjae doesn't see it as punishment, so he allowed any takers to let you do community service. Someone named Himchan volunteered for you to be his maid for the next three weeks," Jongup told him.

"Three weeks?! It was supposed to be two!" Daehyun shouted.

Jongup only shook his head and ushered Daehyun out of the library.

\-----

When Daehyun entered inside the police station, he felt icky all over. He looked around and saw every police officer staring at him. Daehyun hated being in here. It made him uncomfortable and every police officer is judging him.

"Well, well, well! Jung Daehyun. Here to turn yourself in finally?" one of the police officers asked.

"Leave it, Woo. This one is mine," he heard a familiar voice say.

Daehyun looked up and saw Himchan, glaring hard at Daehyun like he ruined his perfect day. Well, Himchan ruined his perfect day, so the feeling was mutual.

"Jung. I'm surpised you got in here without burning up," Himchan said bitterly.

"Believe me, the feeling is mutual. Now, what is it you want me to do?" Daehyun asked him.

Himchan smirked. He beckoned for Daehyun to follow him, which he did. He didn't want to make any bad impressions while he was here. He followed Himchan towards the back, where the filing cabinet was.

"This area has been disorganized for years. Organize it by year and if they were solved or not. I expect this place to be spotless when I return," Himchan ordered, ready to leave.

Daehyun, however, sputtered at the mess. It looks like it'll take an entire year to fix all this mess.

"And where are you going?" Daehyun asked him.

"Lunch break. So if I were you, I'd get started," Himchan said coldly.

Himchan slammed the door behind him, making Daehyun wince at the noise. He sighed to himself and began to get started.

\-----

It took a lot longer than Daehyun predicted.

For starters, there were a lot of solved cases than unsolved cases, and a lot of unsolved cases didn't have a lot of files in them. There was loose paper everywhere, so Daehyun had to figure out where those went. To top it off, the solved cases had a lot of years, months, and days jumbled together, so he had to fix that a little bit.

He was just getting started in organizing them when he heard laughter. Daehyun groaned. Great. More reasons for this to get any worse. He looked up when the door opened. Outside was Himchan, along with two other officers on Himchan's tail. He was holding a cup of coffee from some coffee shop that Daehyun knows favors cops.

"And there's my little worker bee! Just getting started? For shame," Himchan cooed, his coworkers laughing.

"It wouldn't be this much work if someone - I don't know, maybe you - to clean this up a bit. Why isn't any of this digitalized?" Daehyun asked, staring at the files.

"Oh, they are. This place has been like this for years. Even before I was born. The boss got lazy and has been looking for someone to clean this up. Looks like you were perfect for the job," Himchan informs Daehyun.

Daehyun is ready to strangle him.

"Then why did I spend two hours in here organizing your mess?" Daehyun demanded.

"Didn't I just say?" Himchan teased.

Daehyun dug his nails into the palm of his hand. He can't afford to get angry at him. This is exactly what Himchan wants.

"You're free to go once you're done. I'm sure you'll do fine," Himchan told him.

The three left the file room and closed the door. Daehyun started to panic when he heard the sound of a lock. Shit. He took in deep breathes and began. He needs to keep himself busy in order to ignore his growing phobia. He can do this.

\-----

He can't do this.

Its been three hours and Daehyun feels like he's hyperventalating. Being in here when the door was unlocked was fine. He had a way out. He didn't have to worry about being in here forever. He finished filing a while ago, but nobody bothered to see if he was done. Daehyun mostly laid on the floor, curled up in a tight ball. He's trying to think rather happier thoughts, but nothing came to mind.

"Daehyun, are you - the hell?"

Daehyun looked up and sees Himchan. He scrambles from the floor and quickly makes his way out.

"Hey, what are you-?"

"Why did you lock me in the damn file room? You goddamn monster! If you did know me as you said, you would read that I'm claustrophobic to the point of anxiety!" Daehyun shouted.

Himchan only stared at him. Daehyun stormed out of the police station. He's done with his chores anyway. He doesn't need to be reminded that he's actually weak.

"Daehyun!" he heard Himchan call out.

Daehyun ignored him. He continued walking until he gets to home. He can curl up in a nice bed, with the windows propped open and a warm cup of tea by his side.

"Daehyun, I didn't know-"

"Of course you didn't know! You're only trying to see what makes me tick. You heard rumors, I'm sure, about my phobias. What are you gonna do next? Lock me outside on a roof? Or put me in the middle of the ocean with nothing but a boat? Or, here's a good one! Maybe you'll bury me alive while you're at it!" Daehyun snarled.

"You're being unfair!" Himchan shouted.

Daehyun saw that people were giving them looks. But most of them passed them by with their holograms in their face.

"Am I? You locked me in a file room for three hours. I'm sorry I'm not jumping for joy when I see your face, seeing as you already hate me as it is. Face it, you're dying to see me locked in jail for life," Daehyun snarled.

Daehyun soon left Himchan's presence. He didn't bother to hear Himchan anymore. He got on the bus and waited for it to move. When he did, he only saw Himchan as a blur.

\-----

Unfortunately for him, he was forced to get up and drag himself back to the police station. He dreaded facing those cops again. Sure, he isn't really a model citizen, but it helped him survive in a way. Besides, he's pretty sure that if he didn't show up, Himchan would call the courthouse and report that Daehyun has been skipping his community services.

When he entered the police station, however, something seemed strange. Sure, he received the usual glares and taunts, but something seemed out of place.

When Himchan entered the room, he realized why something seemed different.

"Hello, Himchan. Made another criminal cry?" Daehyun asked sarcastically.

Either Himchan didn't hear him or ignored him because he brought out a cup of coffee from the coffee shop that serves police officers a lot. Daehyun stared at the coffee in question.

"Did you poison it or something?" Daehyun asked, accepting the coffee. It felt warm in his hands.

"It's an apology. For being a dick to you. I didn't know you were claustrophobic and I made an ass of myself when I found out. Why weren't you freaking out when closed the door the first time?" Himchan asked him.

"I had a way out. Closing the door doesn't freak me out because I could easily open it and leave. Locking it, however is a different story," Daehyun answered, hesitantly staring at the coffee. "Seriously, none of your officer buddies spat in this, right?"

Himchan rolled his eyes and walked away, doing whatever it is officers do. He took a sip and let the caramel settle into his stomach.

\-----

As the days pass, Himchan made sure that Daehyun worked where he knows Daehyun us comfortable in. Many of the officers believed that Himchan is going soft on him and letting him off easy instead of making his life miserable. Himchan merely cursed them out and reminded them that he's in charge of Daehyun's community service. Daehyun felt his heart give out a little when Himchan started defending him.

Then one day, Daehyun opened up to him.

It started off slow. Himchan invited the younger to eat dinner with him, to which Daehyun accepted. (He wasn't going to turn down a free meal, after all.)

"I read your files," Himchan finally said.

They were inside the diner. Daehyun thought it was strange that Himchan was silent, since he mostly teased Daehyun more than others.

"What did it say?" Daehyun asked, looking over the menu.

"That your father abused you," Himchan answered.

Daehyun froze. He took a deep breath and tried not to let his emotions get the better of him.

"I thought they banned child abuse. Reading what he did to you-"

"Let me stop you there and make something clear to you. I lived in the slums. You, on the other hand, lived in upper class town or something like that. When children get abused where I'm from, they turn a blind eye," Daehyun explained.

Himchan was silent.

"They should've done something," Himchan whispered.

"What were they gonna do? They don't do anything for children in the slums. We're barely kept alive because of your precious system. Why do you think most of the thieves and robbers are from the slums? We survive from the streets, stealing whatever food we can get. Maybe next time, you should spend less time about why they failed the system and focus more on why the system failed us," Daehyun said.

Their waitress finally came over, cutting the tension air. They ordered their food and waited patiently.

"I'm sorry. I know none of this is your fault. Come join us. You can stop stealing," Himchan offered.

"And ruin my street cred? No thanks," Daehyun joked.

"Daehyun," Himchan warned.

Daehyun sighed.

"I can't. As much as I try to, I can't. The system makes sure of it. Maybe it worked back then, but it won't now. Besides, you can't make all the city kid slums into police officers," Daehyun told him.

Himchan only sighed and started playing around with the napkin.

\-----

It was stupid of Daehyun. He realized as the days were blurring together, he was falling for Himchan. The way his rough hands gently touch his shoulders, or the soft looks he's been giving Daehyun ever since the Incident. It made him realize that maybe Himchan isn't so bad.

It was his friends that made him think twice.

Daehyun would do odd errands for Himchan to keep himself busy. It wasn't bad. It just meant that he would be far, far away from those cops that Himchan calls friends. When Daehyun returned with coffee for him, he saw the door cracked open. He could hear voices from the room. Habits die hard because Daehyun decides to listen in.

"-going soft on him! Let us take care of him. We'll get him into shape," one of the officers said.

"And I said no. Don't you have an android to bully or something," he heard Himchan argue.

"Face it, Himchan, you're going soft on him. What happens when another slum kid decides to steal something? Are you going to go soft on them?" another asked.

"Maybe I will, maybe I won't. That doesn't matter because I do my damn job. And what are you doing? Last I checked, you were supposed to investigate a crime not too far from here, but instead you were at a strip joint snorting coke off a hooker's ass," Himchan argued.

Daehyun stayed silent. Himchan sounded angry. He gently knocked on the door and opened.

"Himchan, I got your coffee. The barista went from giving me harsh insults to cold glares. I call that an improvement," Daehyun greeted, setting Himchan's coffee down.

"Thank you, Daehyun. That would be all," Himchan told him.

Daehyun was getting ready to turn around and leave, until one of the officers grabbed him.

"Now wait a minute! A man like you shouldn't go anywhere just yet. The guys and I were talking and we were wondering what your mouth would taste like," one of them purred, making Daehyun's skin crawl.

"Junyoung, that's enough-"

"Oh, I see why Himchan is going soft on you! It's because you suck him under the desk, don't you? I'm sure that's it. Tell me, what does he taste like? I wonder how many dicks you can take in your mouth," a second responded, ignoring Himchan.

"Jinsoo-"

"No wait, it has to be that perky ass of yours isn't it?"

Daehyun yelped when one of them slapped him ass.

"I said that's enough!" Himchan growled.

The three stopped and turned to Himchan. Daehyun scurried off towards Himchan's side. He let out a soft whimper and clutched onto Himchan's shirt.

"What you three are doing is deemed as sexual harassment. I don't care if Daehyun isn't a worker here. You don't touch him like that," Himchan snarled.

The three men glared at him, but shuffled out of Himchan's office anyway. Daehyun didn't relax his grip until he heard the door slam shut.

"Hey, you okay?" he heard Himchan ask.

"'m fine. Thanks for that," Daehyun said, letting go of Himchan's shirt.

Himchan gently ran Daehyun's head. It was soothing. It reminded him of his mother's touch.

"If you ever need anything, I'm right here," Himchan assured him.

\-----

It was the last day of his community service. Many of the officers are glad to see him off. Daehyun was glad that he wouldn't be able to see their shitty faces again. He promised Himchan not to steal or vandalize anything. Daehyun made no promises, but he'll at least try. He waved goodbye to Himchan, who gave him a peck on the lips.

"Stay out of trouble and there's plenty of more where that came from," Himchan promised.

Daehyun was going to like this new side of himself.


	34. I Told You to Be Fine

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Week 34: A story about loneliness.

Youngjae stared at the growing tree in silence. It was the area that he decided to bury the one person he loved. He ran his hand along the carving, where Junhong's handwriting was displayed.

"Hey, love. Sorry I'm lave. I know I haven't been showing up for the past three weeks, but I was busy. Not a good excuse, I know, but I've been meaning to visit you. Nothing new has happened. Well, almost. Himchan and Daehyun are engaged. Can you believe it? Finally, I know. Yongguk and Jongup are still dancing around each other, but they'll get together eventually," Youngjae said.

The wind gently blew through the trees. He sighed and played around with the grass.

"I haven't found anybody new. How could I? It won't be fair to them. I'd rather live a life of loneliness than force someone to suffer being replaced by a ghost," Youngjae admitted, rather sadly.

He sighed to himself and got up. He needed to get home. It was getting dark and he didn't want to get sick. Junhong wouldn't forgive him for it.

Youngjae winced when he reminded himself that Junhong is gone now. Forever.

\-----

He heard the door slam open. Youngjae called out to them to go away from his apartment. He doesn't want to go anywhere right now. He heard silence, hoping that his intruders took the hint and left.

He hated to be wrong.

The next thing he knew, he was being doused in water. He screeched and looked up to see who the culprits were. Daehyun and Jongup were standing over his bed with a rather large bucket, glaring at him.

"The hell was that for?" Youngjae demanded. Great. Now his bed is drenched.

"Why the hell didn't you show up for Himchan's birthday dinner? We've been texting you for hours until we gave up when the check came," Jongup demanded.

"I thought I sent a text stating that I wasn't going," Youngjae explained.

"We didn't get anything from you! You've been wallowing in sadness ever since Junhong died! He wouldn't want you to be like this," Daehyun told him.

Youngjae squeezed his leg with his fingernails, leaving crescent moon shapes on his leg.

"You need to get outside, too. When was the last time you let the sun touch your skin?" Jongup asked.

"That's none of your business now, is it? Now leave," Youngjae snapped.

Daehyun and Jongup glared at him, but did as he requested. The two left the apartment and Youngjae bug himself deeper into the covers. Ever since Junhong passed away, he's been driving his friends away. Well, they were never his friends anyway. They were Junhong's friends. Youngjae just so happened to be dating him so they let him be in their small group of friends. He closed his eyes and let the tears settle into his eyes.

\-----

"Come on, please? You'll love them," Junhong pleaded, pouting a little.

"Your friends aren't going to like me. They're going to think I'm an interloper who is disrupting their friendship," Youngjae pointed out.

"They'll like you! I like you," Junhong said.

Youngjae said and looked inside the restaurant. It wasn't that he hasn't made friends before, but it's just that all of his friends drifted away from him. He didn't mind, since he was used to being alone. But this was different. His boyfriend of eight months is allowing him to settle into his group of friends. He sighed, but nodded his head. Junhong smiled widely and grabbed his hand. The two went inside the restaurant and Junhong waved to his friends. Youngjae saw the small group as Junhong lead him towards the table.

"Guys, this is Youngjae! The guy I was telling you about," Junhong introduced, smiling widely.

Youngjae hesitantly waved at them. He sat next to Junhong as he began to be introduced to Junhong's friends.

\-----

Youngjae deleted all the voice messages from his friends. He stared at the white cubicle and his eyes drifted towards the picture on his desk. It was a simple picture taken at the fair. It was Junhong's favorite picture. Youngjae hated it because the picture made him look bigger than it was intended. His face stuffed with cotton candy and Junhong eating a corndog. Youngjae smiled softly at the picture. His heart began to hurt again.

"Hey Youngjae, the guys and I are going to go out for a couple of drinks with the new kids. Wanna come?" he heard Jaebum ask him.

"Um, no thanks. I got a lot of stuff to do here," Youngjae told him, pointing at his laptop.

"You sure? You can take a break," Jinyoung offered.

"No, I gotta focus on this. Maybe some other time," Youngjae said, smiling politely.

As the group began to walk away, he could hear their mutters.

"Told you he wasn't going to go. He's been like this ever since-"

"I thought..."

The murmurs driftly settled away as Youngjae continued to do his work in silence.

\-----

"What do you mean he's gone?" Youngjae demanded.

The doctors gave him a pity look. Youngjae only glared at him.

"The accident was too much for his brain. He lost a lot of blood and his body was already shutting down. I'm sorry for your loss," the doctor told him.

As the doctor walked away, Youngjae broke down. His entire body collapsed and he let out a painful cry. He didn't care that there were others around him. He didn't care that he was making a scene, or that his friends had to get him up to leave. He didn't care. Didn't care. Didn't care.

Junhong was gone. And it was all his fault. His boyfriend of five years was ripped away from him and he couldn't do anything about it.

"Youngjae, calm down," he heard Himchan softly say.

Youngjae looked over the roof and ignored everything the others were saying. He contemplated jumping off this roof, but it wouldn't be fair to those who saw him jump. Or his body landing on the ground. So he'll live. He'll live for Junhong.

\-----

"Congratulations, Youngjae. You have officially ran off all of your friends. I hope you're proud of yourself," the sound of Himchan's voice said, echoing through the apartment.

Youngjae stared at his phone. The voicemail has been glaring at him for so long. He threw his cell phone against the wall, letting it shatter against the wall. He didn't care anymore. He wrapped the blankets around his body and let the loneliness surround him in a layer of dust.


	35. Fought the Law

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Week 35: A story that features a real recent newspaper article.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> from [this](https://www.buzzfeed.com/tamarlewin/wisconsin-surrogacy-case?utm_term=.yhamQ5xng#.lg7ELeQV0) article.

The surrogacy went through. Everything was falling into place. Youngjae and Junhong got married about a year ago, have been together for eight years, and they are now going to be the father or a baby boy or girl. They were happy that their surrogate mother even agreed to carry their child. However, as the due date was coming up very soon, they were called into court about their surrogacy.

"What's going on?" Junhong questioned his lawyer when he showed up at their house unexpectedly.

"The judge said that the ruling of your surrogacy is what he likes to call slavery. His words, not mine," the lawyer explained.

Junhong stared in disbelief. Youngjae looks like he's ready to cry. They've been trying to have a child for weeks, and now that dream may not even happen.

"Is there anything we can do?" Junhong asked.

"The only thing you can do right now is to have a trial. After that, everything is on you," the lawyer explained.

Junhong knows that this won't be a fair trial. If the judge thinks that having their friend be the surrogate of their child is slave labor, the might as well not even fight for it.

"We'll do it," Youngjae said.

Junhong stared at Youngjae like he's got three heads. Where are they going to get the money to pay for their lawyer, much less the legal fees that they will be forced to pay.

"Alright. So, we'll set a court date and hopefully the new judge will see into your favor and grant you custody of the child. If not… well, we'll just cross that bridge when we get there," the lawyer said.

The two thanked their lawyer and saw him out the door. Junhong turned to Youngjae with disbelief in his eyes.

"Are you insane? How are we going to pay for this? We barely had enough money to even afford this house! The surrogacy could've killed us both if Jieun didn't step in and offered to be the surrogate mother. How can we be able to afford the legal fees?" Junhong argued.

"I know, but this is our future child we're talking about here. I know I should've discussed this with you, and maybe thought this out a little more, but my emotions got the best of me," Youngjae explained.

"We're gonna have to take a second mortgage out of this house in order to pay for the legal fees. Otherwise, we're screwed," Junhong stated.

The two sat in silence. They know what they have to do. They hope that their efforts will be worth it.

\-----

The trial was about two weeks after. Junhong and Youngjae stood in court, along with their surrogate, Jieun. She was about six months pregnant with their child, and she looked like she did not want to be here. Junhong doesn't blame her. They don't want to be here at all.

"All rise for Judge Lee," the bailiff introduced.

Everybody rose from their seats. A middle aged man with greying hair that seemed to be thinning emerged from the back, wearing his black robes. When the judge sat down, everybody began to sit down as well.

"Alright, we're here to discuss the case of Yoo-Choi versus Judge Woo over the act of surrogacy. Yoo and Choi is being tried against Judge Woo for their surrogacy. I'll let the defendants open with their statement," Judge Lee announced.

Junhong pretty much zoned out through everything. He didn't really care on what was actually going on. He snapped out of his thoughts when Jieun was called up to the stand. She sat om the stand with much difficulty, since her stomach was a lot bigger.

"Ms. Song, how long have you been a friend of Mr. Yoo and Mr. Choi?" their lawyer asked her.

"For about eight years," she answered.

"And how exactly did you three meet? The lawyer asked her.

"From a mutual friend. We all got to know each other and have been treating each other like family," Jieun explained.

"So your part in this is nothing but consensual, is that correct?" he asked.

"That is correct," she answered.

"No further questions."

Junhong saw the relief on her face. He began to grow a bit nervous. If the opposing lawyer took notice, they are going to be in a lot of trouble.

"We like to ask a few questions of our own," the opposing lawyer argued.

Junhong stared at the opposing lawyer. He looked mean, with thinning hair and a gray suit on.

"Ms. Song, how long have you been a surrogate mother?" the other lawyer asked.

"What do you mean?" Jieun questioned.

"Let me rephrase that. How many times have you been a surrogate mother?" he asked again.

"About four times. This one being my fifth," she answered.

"And have you been paid for any of these?" he asked.

"Two of them, yes. The other time were for family or friends," she answered honestly.

"So you use your body to make money?" the lawyer accused.

"No, because what you're describing is prostitution. And even if I did do that, I'm sure you pay for a prostitute as well," Jieun argued.

The lawyer glared at her. Junhong let out a small snicker, causing Youngjae to elbow him in the stomach.

"The other times you were a surrogate mother and you got paid, what were those circumstances?" the lawyer asked her, getting back on track.

"I put my name down at the clinic that wanted a surrogate mother and I got picked. They picked me for my health record and whatever else that they wished to know. I still keep in contact with the kids I gave birth to," Jieun answered.

"And the ones you didn't get paid for?" he asked.

"Friends and family, like I said. Either they couldn't get pregnant or adoption refuses to give them a child. I'm sure you're familiar with that," Jieun snapped.

The other lawyer was silent. He sat back into his chair and stared at Judge Lee.

"You may be seated, Ms. Song," Judge Lee told her.

Jieun got up from her seat and went to sit back down with the rest of Youngjae and Junhong's friends who came to help support them.

"Your next witness," Judge Lee said.

"We like to call Mr. Choi up to the stand," the other lawyer announced.

Junhong attempted to swallow the lump forming in his throat. He got up and made his way towards the witness stand. He sat down and waited for what the judge or the lawyer was going to ask him.

"Mr. Choi, how long have you and Mr. Yoo known each other?" the opposing lawyer asked.

"We've known each other since we were kids. In my senior year of high school, we got together," Junhong answered.

"Why didn't you date during his time in high school?" he asked.

Junhong noticed that the opposing lawyer didn't have a ring on his ring finger.

"I don't know, why aren't you married? Didn't I hear you got divorced for the fourth time?" Junhong shot back.

He heard a few whispers traveling through the court room. He shouldn't have said anything, but the guy was annoying him to no end.

"T-That is none of your concern!"

Junhong raised an eyebrow.

"Mr. Choi, please answer the question," Judge Lee requested. He sounded rather bored by the entire process.

"We didn't date while Youngjae was in high school because he's older than me by about two years. He was a junior while I was a freshman. I mean, isn't that already weird when you see a freshman and a junior dating?" Junhong asked.

Junhong could tell that he was annoying the opposing lawyer.

"No further questioned," he announced as he sat back down.

Junhong waited for his own lawyer to ask him some questioned. His lawyer stood up and made his way towards the middle.

"Mr. Choi, how long have you and Mr. Yoo been married?" his lawyer asked him.

"About five or six years? We've been dating for eight," Junhong answered.

"During the time of your marriage, were you unhappy?" his lawyer asked.

"I mean, at one point. We felt like something was missing in our marriage. It wasn't until we visited one of our friends and played with their child did we figure out what was missing," Junhong explained.

"And how long did you try to adopt a child?"

"Well, about a year into our marriage. We've been rejected by every adoption agency in Korea. Then we tried other countries, but we were rejected then, too. We attempted surrogacy, but it became a bit difficult because every surrogate mother would either drop or say that they won't carry a child for a gay couple. Jieun, our good friend, offered to be the surrogate mother," Junhong answered.

"No further questions," his lawyer announced as he sat back down.

When Junhong sat back in his own chair next to Youngjae, almost the entire case became a blur. He remembered Youngjae going up, but most of the questions that they asked him were ridiculous or redundant questions that he's surprised that Youngjae suffered through it. Before he knew it, the trial was dismissed for the day for the next trial to happen.

"When will this last?" Youngjae asked their lawyer.

"I don't know. Judge Lee and Judge Woo went to college together. He might favor in Woo's case, but I saw the flicker in his eyes. We'll have to wait for what the jury will say tomorrow," he answered.

Junhong feels like this will take a rather long time.

 

Three Months Later

 

The trial lasted a lot longer than either Junhong or Youngjae anticipated. There have been plenty of 'evidence' that Woo presented, along with stating that it went against his religious views. On e of the witnesses, Daehyun, called bullshit on that and explained why, so Judge Lee took account into that. Junhong has never worked si hard at his job, nor has he spent so much money in his life.

"This is getting ridiculous," Youngjae muttered.

The two look over at Jieun and saw their baby daughter in Jieun's arms. She looked completely uncomfortable holding their baby daughter.

"Hopefully they'll come to a decision today. If not, you can make a statement that they're stalling," their lawyer said.

Everybody stood up when Judge Lee walked into the courthouse and took a seat. Everybody followed and took their seat.

"I have come to a decision. Since Judge Woo has resigned his position, I am granting Mr. Yoo and Mr. Choi custody of their newborn daughter. Furthermore, Judge Woo will be paying the couple for every hour we wasted our time here. Case dismissed," Judge Lee announced

Junhong felt like he was floating. They won. Mostly because Judge Woo resigned, but they won! they can take their daughter home now!

Everybody left the courthouse and made their way home. It was time to introduce their baby girl to their new home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> as you can tell, i know nothing about law. well, i tried.


	36. He and His Cat

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Week 36: A story written from an animal's perspective.

My human is my favorite human. Many cats will say this, but for me, it is true. I have had many different humans in my past lives, but this one is actually taking care of me. My human gives me many pets and allows me to sleep on his ed. He gives me tasty caned treats. On better days, he gives me mixed canned and dry food. Everything is perfect. Just me and my human.

And then a force disturbed that.

My human brought home another human that I didn't know. The new human smells like the city. And books? My human has a lot of those, but this smell is familiar, yet not.

I need to make my mark on him. But first, I must observe.

"Oh, is this Autumn?" the new human asked.

This human knows my name. That must mean my human talks about me. I feel a sense of pride with my human. This new human begins to pet him, which I actually enjoy. He has such soft hands.

"Yeah, this is her. She likes that spot, so don’t move her," my human said.

I continued to stare at the humans. They sit on the couch and turn on the magic box. The moving picture showed two humans that I recognize, but I don't care. I look at my human and see my human leaning against the stranger human. It seemed that they are doing a mating touch. I leap down from my spot on the other couch, leaped up on the couch my human is on, and began to knead his thigh so I can get comfortable. Once I know his thigh is nice and comfortable, I lay down and get myself comfortable.

"Looks like someone is jealous," the stranger human commented.

I purred against my human's thigh and closed my eyes, still listening to their conversation.

"He likes my thighs," my human commented.

"Well, there's something we have in common," the stranger stated.

I heard my human giggling. I ignored them. I drifted off to sleep to let the memories fill my dreams.

\-----

I was cold, and crying out for my mother. She abandoned me because I was too weak. My mother, along with my brothers and sisters, abandoned my and took off when they had the chance. I continued crying, hoping someone would hear me. I'm so hungry and so tired. I heard growling behind me.

"Well, well! Lookie here boys! We got ourselves a cat," one of the mean scary beasts told his friends.

I was ready for death. I didn't care anymore. Suddenly, I heard a voice. A human voice. The beasts ran for cover. I, however, stayed put. I didn't know what to make of this human, but I do know that this human has saved my life from the angry beasts.

"You poor thing! Let's get you to a vet to look you over," the human said.

I didn't remember much after that. I just remembered a human in white giving me shots and taking my temperature and weight. After it was over, the human began to fill out something that I couldn't place.

"Your cat's name?" the human in blue asked him. The human smelt of strawberries.

"A-Autumn," the human said.

"Alright. And your name?" the blue human asked.

"Moon Jongup."

\-----

I was awoken rudely when I felt being disturbed. I poke my head up and see that my human has moved me.

"Sorry, baby girl. You're cute, but my leg is cramping," my human explained.

I said nothing. I got off from the couch and began to find a spot behind the magic box. I could still hear their conversation behind the magic box.

"Autumn is adorable," I heard the stranger human say.

"She is. A bit greedy and spoiled, but she'll warm up to you," the human told the stranger human.

My human had brought other humans before. I like this stranger human. He makes my human happy. That is all I care about. My human's happiness is everything to me.

"It's getting late. I need to get home," I heard the stranger human tell my human.

"So soon?" my human asked.

"I have work in the morning. I'll see you tomorrow," the stranger human said.

"Can't you stay? I'm sure my bed is big enough for both of us," my human said. Although his voice sounded weird.

It was silent for a few minutes. I heard the door slam. I peeked from my hiding spot and saw both of them gone. I slinked away from behind the magic box and took residence on the couch. I settled onto the couch and began to sleep.

\-----

I remember my past lives. All cats do. It's why we have nine. Dogs also have past lives, but they hardly remember.

My first life, I was a lion, king of the safari. I ruled with gentle and care. I died of old age, letting my daughter rule in my place. My next life I was a tiger, trapped behind a glass cage. Humans stared at me as if I was a prize. My caretaker was hardly nice. She was cruel and brutal. I died from an infection from her hands. My third life, I was a mountain lion, roaming the California freeway as if it were my home. I was not so lucky in that life. Although I bore many children, my life ended due to a collision from a large metal vehicle. I didn't survive.

My fourth life was something I valued. I was a pet to a human child. She cared for me and made sure that I was loved and cared for. I died when she went away where I couldn't follow. I don't know how she reacted, but she must've been very upset. My fifth life, I was a pageant cat. My beautiful long orange coat helped me gain popularity within the cat community. Although I had everything I wanted, I was unhappy because my owner didn't care for me like the human child I had before. As I grew old and barely walked, my human put me down because he didn't care about a sick old cat.

My life with my new human is my sixth life, and I only hope I'm allowed to be with my human for the next three lives, no matter how small it is.

One day, my life and his life will walk in separate paths of life, and I value every life I will cherish with whatever remaining years I have with him.

"I really-" smack "-really have to go!"

I looked up and see the stranger human attempting to leave the home, but my human is trying hard to stop him. Humans are weird. And why do they smell funny?

"You have two hours, Yongguk. You can stay longer," my human tells him.

I'm curious about them. I'm not allowed to sit on the very top of the couch, so I merely peek to get a better view.

"And what, make me more late? I don't think so," the stranger human says.

I watch their interaction amusingly. I continued watching them until the stranger human finally left my human's home. I sat back on the couch and looked up at my human.

"I need to get ready, too. I'll feed you soon," my human tells me.

I want this stranger human to stay. He makes my human happy. And maybe that's what my human needs right now.

Some happiness.

\-----

As the seasons continue to change, the stranger human, which I have no called my second human as I have decided that he is now mine, has decided to live with us. Good. My human can finally be happy. Sometimes my human and my second human make weird noises at night. I once tried to investigate what it was, but I was carried out and had the magic portal closed on me.

Rude.

My humans are happy. They have found each other as mates and that's all I care about. Sometimes they give me extra treats when I finish. Mostly because they forget that another has already fed me. Not that I'm complaining.

Another thing that is weird with human culture is that they create a celebration for something. My human is wearing all black with a white tie, while my second human is wearing all white with a black tie. It was all very confusing. I mostly stayed in my human's room because there were too many humans. I don't understand human culture, and I don't think I will. I looked out the window where I see my humans mating. In front of humans.

Humans are so weird.

It seems to commemorate something that they wish to celebrate with other humans. I mostly slept through everything.

The seasons continue to change. I sit on my second human's lap, purring in content.

Even though my time is running out, I know I will see them again in my next life.

If they'll let me, of course.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [Autumn](http://cdn.pcwallart.com/images/fluffy-black-cats-with-green-eyes-wallpaper-4.jpg)


	37. Stars and Planets

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Week 37: A story about a scientific discovery.

When Youngjae was a child, he fell in love with the stars. When he realized that there was math involved, he began to continue his dreams to study the stars. His parents always sent him to astronomy camp for him to learn more about the stars. It was his dream and learning more and more about the constellations and the planets and the stars made him want to become an astronomer even more.

When he began his college life, he continued to achieve his dream. Although many of his counselors in high school encouraged him to try a different field or major, he didn't. He always stuck to astronomy. As he continued his college years, he received his Ph. D in astronomy and took a job in the field. Although it was at an observatory, he still loved looking up at the stars with the telescope the observatory had provided.

When he turned twenty-eight, he found a job studying and discovering planets. In the states. NASA, they called it. He packed his bags and moved to the states to help other astronomy scientists to discover the stars. He studied with a group of three other individuals, plus their assistants, who also loved the stars.

"Youngjae! Welcome aboard! We were looking for another Korean student who studied Astronomy. We're lucky to have you," a deep voiced man said. Yongguk, he believed he introduced himself as.

"I'm just excited to be here. So what are we looking for? Stars? Constellations? Planets? Oh, maybe galaxies?" Youngjae asked.

"Calm down. First, our assistants will be handing out the paperwork. Daehyun! Where's Jongup and Junhong?" another man asked. Himchan.

"They're running a coffee errand for us, remember? You're picky about the coffee they go to," Daehyun answered.

"Ah, that's right. Anyway, once they give us the paperwork, we'll figure out what we need to find," Himchan explained.

Youngjae nodded enthusiastically. He heard the door open and saw two people walking in. One was tall that he almost hit his head on the doorframe. The other was a bit shorter, with a beauty mark on his nose and a soft smile.

"Took you guys long enough!" Himchan said.

"Sorry, princess, but we had to find the coffee shop you so specifically like. It took us twenty minutes to get there, and thirty minutes to come home because of traffic," the taller one said.

The shorter one gave Yongguk his coffee gently and the paperwork to Daehyun. Youngjae observed them a bit.

"Well, you're here! Now, what do we have to do?" Himchan asked Daehyun, grabbing his own coffee.

"Oh, hello! We haven't met yet. I'm Junhong. This is Jongup," the taller one introduced.

"Please to meet you," Jongup greeted.

"I'm Youngjae. It's good to meet you," Youngjae introduced, smiling warmly.

"Anyway, it says that we can go ahead and discover whatever tickles our fancies. In other words, first one to discover the thing gets a bonus," Daehyun read, staring at the paper.

"And also recognition that we helped discover something in our vast galaxy. And to prove that we're not alone," Yongguk corrected.

Youngjae didn't care. As long as he's out looking for mysteries in the galaxy, he'll be fine. He could let them keep the money and the glory.

"Alright, let's get started! Junhong, start the coffee machine," Himchan ordered.

He heard Junhong grumble about something, but did as he was ordered. Youngjae observed the two assistants. He observed Jongup first, since he's closer and more likely to observe closely than Junhong. Jongup is adorable, in a way. He was a few inches shorter than Youngjae, but his soft brow hair fell just below his ears. He saw that Jongup was making heart eyes at Yongguk, who seemed too immersed in whatever it was they were discovering. When Jongup looked away to do god knew what, Yongguk looked up at Jongup with the same heart eyes. He needs to ask Himchan what this meant.

Junhong, however, is different. He's a bit of a klutz, especially with his rather long limbs. It seemed that Junhong was still getting used to his long arms and legs. It was cute, in a rather weird sense.

"Goddammit! One of the researchers is bragging through texts," Himchan cursed, glaring at his phone.

"Well, he's only one person and he usually gets it wrong anyway. We have four people and two rather horrible assistances, but we'll discover something before that asshole can find anything," Daehyun said.

"Hey, we resent that!" Junhong stated.

As he said that, he accidentally dropped a vial of some liquid that looked important.

"We don't fire you because you actually find decent places to eat," Himchan pointed out.

"Who's the asshole you're talking about?" Youngjae asked, setting up his telescope.

"One of our old researchers. He was great, too, but he got too cocky. He quit our group because he thought he was too important to be here. And we haven't discovered something in years, but it's not our fault!" Daehyun answered.

"Enough. If we leave now, we can be able to get to the observatory before it closes," Yongguk said, taking off his white coat.

"Why are we going to an observatory?" Youngjae asked as he watched Himchan and Daehyun taking off their own coats.

"The people at the observatory love us and lets us use their telescope. It's stronger and we can be able to see everything," Himchan answered.

"Are we invited, or are Jongup and I going to play video games again," Junhong asked.

"We need someone to carry the equipment. Now chop chop!" Daehyun ordered.

Youngjae watched as Jongup and Junhong split the load of the work while Himchan and Daehyun walked off. Yongguk offered to help Jongup, which he tried to decline, but Yongguk carried half of Jongup's load anyway. Junhong huffed in annoyance as Jongup and Yongguk made their way out of the lab.

"Do you want help?" Youngjae asked him.

Junhong turned his head and sighed in relief.

"Oh god, yes. This happens every time," Junhong said.

Youngjae took half of the work load and stared at the younger in confusion.

"What happens every time?" Youngjae asked as they, too, made their way out of the lab.

"Himchan and Daehyun leave Jongup and I to take the work to them while they flirt and do whatever it is that they do that is gross. Jongup and Yongguk play keep away as Yongguk tries to help Jongup as much as he could. A way of courting, I guess. Junseo just left without a second glance," Junhong answered.

"Who's Junseo?" Youngjae asked.

"He was the asshole. Thought he was too good for everything and now I get to watch as he makes a fool of himself as we discover something he won't," Himchan answered.

The two stepped into the elevator and waited patiently.

\-----

The observatory, Youngjae realized, isn't really a huge one. The people were just leaving to go home for the day as the six began to make their way into the observatory. It was nice, Youngjae thought, despite it being small.

"Alright, the owner says we got four hours to collect as much data as we can and then get the hell out," Himchan declared.

They all got to work. Youngjae worked on the planets, to see if there is something new in the universe. Yongguk was in charge of the stars, Daehyun in charge of the galaxies, and Himchan was in charge of the data. Junhong and Jongup were running around, getting everybody something that they wanted or needed.

As the months began to dwindle, there wasn't much luck. Until Youngjae discovered something peculiar.

"Hey, is there supposed to be a giant red planet in the galaxy?" Youngjae asked.

"Unless you're seeing Mars, then no. Why, what do you see?" Daehyun asked.

Junhong looked through the telescope and smiled widely.

"I think you found a new planet," Junhong declared.

Youngjae smiled widely. He looked through the telescope again and saw rings around the planet. It looked smaller than Jupiter, but bigger than Earth.

"Write down the coordinates! We need to show this to the boss to see if we can send a telescope to explore it," Himchan ordered.

Youngjae did as he was told and wrote down everything. He got up from his seat, feeling a pair of familiar arms wrapped around his waist. During those agonizing months or searching and predicting, he developed a rather close relationship with Junhong. Sooner or later, he developed feelings. Junhong doesn't know, or chooses not to know, because he's rather touchy and clingy when it comes to Youngjae.

"Alright, this calls for celebration! Daehyun, my house," Himchan said.

"Hey wait, what about the rest of us?" Yongguk asked.

"You got Jongup," Himchan answered, shoving Daehyun into his car, although he looked rather pleased than anything.

"Well, I guess it's just us-"

Before Youngjae could finish his sentence, Yongguk and Jongup got into Jongup's car and drove to who knows where. Leaving him and Junhong alone.

"Hey, you should be proud. You discovered a planet! A planet that hardly anybody knows about! Who knows, maybe it'll get you recognized. What are you gonna name it?" Junhong asked.

Huh. Youngjae hasn't really thought of a name. Besides, his bosses were going to name it something strange and scientific. There was one name he wanted to use.

"Zelos," Youngjae answered.

"Zelos?"

"Yeah. You told me it was your favorite Greek god or something. So why not?" Youngjae asked.

Junhong smiled and kissed Youngjae on the cheek.

"How about we go to my place and I'll show you my appreciation of your newly discovered planet?" Junhong offered.

Youngjae accepted.


	38. Reward

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Week 38: Free for all
> 
> Your OTP is still in school together (High School or College), and Person A is failing their classes. To help, Person B hands A a list of “romantic rewards” based on grades, and refuses to do anything romantic with A without seeing a graded assignment first. Person A’s grades quickly improve dramatically

Daehyun was failing History.

It wasn't his favorite subjects. Sure, it was interesting as hell to figure out what was going on during that time period, but he just... didn't care. Like, at all. He didn't care about the dates or the historic people or anything. He plopped himself onto the couch where his boyfriend, Himchan, was sitting on the opposite couch.

"Rough class?" Himchan asked without so much as looking up from his book.

"Ugh. It's so stupid. My professor pulled me aside that I'm suffering in the class. I have a D+ in that class," Daehyun said.

"Are you... are you serious? Daehyun, it's only the second week of school. How on earth are you failing so fast?" Himchan asked, closing his book to stare at his boyfriend.

"History was never my strong suit and you know that. I never found it interesting. The professors keep drowning on and on about stuff that doesn't matter!" Daehyun complained, taking a bite out of Himchan's lunch.

"First of all, ask first, you cretin. Second, maybe you should get a tutor? Or switch out? It's still early that you can find another professor. Professor Song teaches history and I heard that she's a great professor," Himchan offered.

And he did just that. He switched out and went to Professor Song, but he was equally suffering in that class as he did before. Himchan only blamed Daehyun for his lack of trying.

"I am! I'm taking notes, I'm studying, but it's just so boring!" Daehyun whined.

"Fine, then I got something for you," Himchan said.

That perked Daehyun up a little.

"Oh~ Is it sexy lingerie?" Daehyun guessed.

"No. And it's not happening. I'm giving you a sort of romantic rewards system. Every paper or homework or quiz or whatever it is that you get graded, I will give you a romantic reward based on that grade," Himchan offered.

Daehyun raised an eyebrow, until Himchan gave him the said paper that had a list of romantic rewards and the letter grades next to each one. A C gave him hand holding in public. Okay, that seemed fair. A B gave him kisses in the park. An A gave him a make out session. He looked at the top of the list and saw what he would get is he aced his final.

"Wait, you're serious about this?" Daehyun asked.

"I was talking to Yongguk about you failing History. He gave me the idea when he mentioned that Jongup was failing Chemistry and said that he gave him a point system. A reward system more like it, but it worked. Jongup aced his final project and now those two are being gross somewhere," Himchan explained.

Daehyun stared at the paper. There was some other stuff in between, but he mostly paid attention to the demerits. A D forced him to sleep on the couch. An F forced him to sleep at either Jongup or Junhong's house. And he knows for a fact what they're like behind closed doors. He was mostly excited for the small rewards that he was going to get. Especially when he aced his final.

"Alright, I accept your challenge. I hope you're good on your word when it comes to my final," Daehyun said, smirking.

"Of course. That is, if you actually get an A. If not, then no reward," Himchan tells him.

Daehyun only pouted.

"Alright fine, but it won't be that if you get a B or a C, understand."

Daehyun only smiled sweetly, but agreed anyway.

"Now, I need to get my homework done. First reward, here I come!" Daehyun said.

\-----

Daehyun is getting better. He aced his first homework and got a B on his test. He started to actually pay attention and realized how interesting the subject actually was. He started to turn down party invitations and other social stuff in order to actually do his homework and study.

"I'm proud of you. You're doing a lot better than I thought," Himchan observed, staring at his B+ report paper.

"Your reward system is actually helping a lot more than I thought. And next week is your final. I'm gonna ace it and you better get yourself ready," Daehyun said.

"Easy there, cretin. I need to see proof before I decide to get your final reward ready. I don't care how long it takes, but I'm not going to give you your reward early," Himchan told him.

Daehyun mostly whined, but finally agreed. He began to study everything about History and began to jot down notes. Jongup gave him the idea to chew gum to help him relax and to stop fidgeting. Plus, it helps Daehyun remember some important facts about the subject.

On the day of his final, he began to go over his answers and even wrote a mini essay at the end. He turned in his final exam and walked out of the classroom, finally done with the subject and waiting eagerly for his grade.

\-----

As the weeks passed, Daehyun completely forgot about the reward system that Himchan created. His next semester won't happen for a few weeks, so Daehyun didn't worry too much about it. He finally remembered when he entered his apartment that he shared with Himchan that he noted something different. He smelt lavender and roses and saw candles lit up that led to the bedroom. He walked towards the bedroom, opened the door, and pretty much gaped at what he saw.

Himchan was laying on the bed, wearing a red corset, a black thong, black and red laced stockings, and dark red lipstick. It was everything Daehyun dreamed of.

"I saw your report card. You aced your final. It's not time for your reward," Himchan said, rather seductively.

Daehyun let out a whine that seemed to be bottled up in his throat. He quickly threw off his clothes from his body and hungrily kissed Himchan on the lips. He's so glad he aced his final exam.


	39. Let Me Show You My True Colors

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Week 39: A story about a secret.

When Youngjae was younger, he always wanted to be a superhero.

And then when he grew up and realized that he didn't gain powers, he decided to photograph superheroes instead.

It wasn't really an easy job, but Youngjae loves it. Even though he sometimes gets caught in the line of fire at times. Especially considering the three superheroes in his town.

There's Light Show, who's abilities summoning lightning. He could make it rain and bring down the lightning. He once saved a burning building filled with people by bringing in lightning. Youngjae took a picture of that and is quite pleased. Then there's Sound Wave, who could manipulate sound. It's great because it's powerful enough to steady a building while the civilians ran away. Youngjae also took a picture of that. And lastly there's Shell Shock, who has a force field generation. And Youngjae isn't going to lie, he does have a small crush on Shell Shock. He would never admit it, but he does.

He entered the media newspaper building and began to make his way towards his desk. He got his pictures and placed them in the media room where they would be placed on a spread for his boss, Hyosung, to choose. He left the room and made his way towards Daehyun and Jongup, who were laughing about something and throwing paper balls.

"Hello, children," Youngjae greeted, taking off his bag and setting it down on his chair.

"Youngjae!" Jongup greeted.

"I'm older than you," Daehyun argued, throwing a paper ball at him.

Youngjae only stuck his tongue out and sat down at his chair. It was convenient that he was sat next to them. He liked them. They were fun.

"Oh hey, how did the date go? Did my spare tickets not go to waste?" Youngjae asked him.

"Oh god, they were perfect! Yongguk was so enthusiastic about all the art pieces! It's a shame you couldn't go," Jongup said as he began to start his project.

"Yeah, no. I got those tickets for Jaebum. But, after the asshole dumped my ass for some better ass, I didn't need them. Besides, if someone didn't use them, I would've burned them," Youngjae confessed.

"Yeah. I remembered you burning his jacket," Daehyun said, making a face as he reminisced about the burnt jacket.

"I'm gonna get a cup of coffee. You guys want any?" Youngjae asked them.

"Nah. Yongguk already got me a cup from this morning. He's so cute," Jongup said, taking a sip of his iced coffee.

"Daehyun?"

"Two sugars, three creams," Daehyun ordered without even turning around.

Youngjae rolled his eyes as he made his way towards the coffee machine. The coffee machine made extremely delicious coffee. He poured himself two cups and began to get Daehyun's. He mostly enjoyed one cup of cream and two sugars. Make it subtle. After he was done, he made his way towards his desk, when he accidentally bumped into someone and made him spill his coffee.

"Oh my god! I'm so sorry," a familiar voice apologized.

Youngjae looked up and saw the rather cute secretary that Hyosung hired. Youngjae, Daehyun, and Jongup are betting that Hyosung hired this rather young secretary because he's rather cute. A bit nerdy with his huge glasses, but still cute.

"Well, at least I can now smell like coffee. My dream," Youngjae said, trying to dab the coffee stains from his shirt. Well, at least he has another shirt.

"But still-"

"Junhong, where is my coffee?" a familiar voice demanded.

"C-coming, Ms. Song," Junhong answered nervously.

Youngjae was left alone when Junhong quickly dashed away towards the coffee machine. When Junhong left, Youngjae got up and began to make his coffee again. It could be worse.

\-----

Youngjae hates how he's sometimes right.

While Youngjae was busy getting some documents with Jongup about a bank robbery that happened not too long ago, the building shook violently. Youngjae was thrown off his chair and hid underneath his desk. He could smell smoke and knew he had to get out of there. However, Daehyun and Jongup were knocked unconscious from the damage. Youngjae splashed some water on his friends, who sluggishly woke up.

"W-What happened?" Jongup asked, looking around.

"We gotta get out of here. It's way too dangerous to be here," Youngjae told them.

The three attempted to make their way towards the stairs, but it was blocked. There was no way out and they were going to die here.

Suddenly, something was being suspended in the air. Youngjae looked to see where it was coming from, and he got his answer.

"J-Junhong?" Youngjae questioned, staring at the man in question.

Junhong was levitating the fallen debris that almost landed on the three's heads and set it somewhere else.

"I saw that you guys were trapped. I want to help," Junhong answered.

"You're... You're Shell Shock," Jongup stated.

"Yes, and I'd like to keep that identity a secret, please," Junhong requested.

"We got to get out of here. Can you move the debris from the stairs?" Daehyun asked.

"I can't. I'm too weak. The atmosphere around here is... is..."

Junhong fainted and Youngjae quickly caught him. He's not wrong. The fire is starting to spread and they all need to get out.

"Where's your teammates?! Shouldn't they get here?" Daehyun demanded.

"Came back. They don't know," Junhong answered.

Youngjae hauled Junhong's rather tall ass and attempted to climb through the fall debris and towards the stairs. Now that Junhong revealed his powers, it was all starting to make sense. The need for him to leave when danger strikes, how some of Hyosung's prized valuables never broke, even though he accidentally knocked them over.

"Is there anybody in there?" a gruff voice asked.

"Get us out of here!" Daehyun shouted.

"Daehyun!" Jongup hissed.

Youngjae noted that Jongup was looking faint, too. They all were. It was getting hard to breath now. Youngjae saw Light Show and Sound Wave entering the burning building. He blacked out before Youngjae knew what was going to happen.

\-----

Youngjae woke up in a hospital with a breathing mask over his face. He lungs felt like fire and everything was hurting. He looked around and saw Junhong sitting on a chair, sleeping in a rather uncomfortable position.

"Junhong?" Youngjae asked.

Junhong woke up and looked a bit relieved when he saw him awake.

"You're alive," Junhong stated.

"Yeah. Thanks for saving us. From the debris," Youngjae said.

"I didn't do much, though. I fainted because the atmosphere was too much. My partners are much better than I am. Y- Light Show can be able to control the weather, but he's only good at controlling lightning. Especially white lightning, which is difficult in itself. H- Sound Wave was able to detect us because he used sonar. I just move stuff out of the way," Junhong confessed.

"But you saved me from getting killed. You saved us by sacrificing yourself. You've saved countless of people by stopping bullets or slowing down trains or even lifting that plane! You're not useless. And… thank you for revealing your powers. You didn't have to," Youngjae told him.

He saw Junhong blush. He smiled softly and leaned his body against the bed.

"I can make it up for you, know you," Junhong offered.

"Yeah? And what's that?" Youngjae asked.

"Why don't we go on a date and you'll find out," he challenged.

 Challenge accepted.


	40. Because of You

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Week 40: A romance that ends in tragedy.

Jongup accidentally met Yongguk on a subway. He was focusing more on the letters on his arm than he was of where he was going. He got on the subway and accidentally bumped into someone. Jongup immediately apologized profusely, saying that he didn't know where he was going.

"It's fine. I'll live," the man joked.

Jongup froze in place. He stared at the man in question, who raised a curious eyebrow at him.

"Um, sorry but... your soulmate. What were their words?" Jongup asked.

"I love you," the man responded.

Jongup felt his heart breaking a little. He wanted his words to be true. He wanted the fact that his soulmate was standing right in front of him.

"S-sorry for-"

"What does yours say?" the man asked.

Jongup lifted up his sleeve to show the patch of skin that had chicken-scratch writing that read 'It's fine. I'll live'. The same words that the man said.

"That... that looks like my handwriting," the man pointed out.

Jongup looked up at him and bit his lip. The man rolled up his own sleeve and showed Jongup his arm. The words were in the same place, and saw Jongup's own handwriting, but the words were wrong. He furrowed his eyebrows and looked up again. The subway called to attention that they were going to Jongup's stop.

"This is me. Sorry for bothering you," Jongup apologized.

"Hey, want to get dinner later? Himchan has been bugging me about a date and he said that if I don't show up without one, he'll force someone else to be my date," the man asked.

"But... I don't know you," Jongup pointed out.

"Right. My name is Yongguk. It'll be quick and painless. Just this once?" Yongguk asked him.

Jongup saw that his stop was going to come up. He went into his bag and wrote his name and number on Yongguk's arm. The subway came to a complete stop. Jongup got off and waved goodbye to him. He doubts that he'll see him again.

\-----

Jongup is always wrong about something.

Himchan, his older brother, told him that he was setting up his friend with a date and that date happened to be Jongup. Jongup didn't really want to meet his brother's weird friends, but Himchan insisted and Jongup, eventually, agreed and followed his brother to the party that he wanted him to attend. When Jongup entered his brother's house, Himchan introduced him to everyone. Jongup kept thinking that any one of them could be his new date.

When they got to the kitchen, Jongup was Yongguk, drinking from a red cup.

"Hello again," Yongguk greeted.

Jongup smiled and shyly waved at him. He barely knew the guy, but he can't help but to smile at his presence. Maybe it was the fact that he was his soulmate, but Jongup doesn't think so. The words on his arm are different.

"Oh, so you two know one another?" Himchan asked.

"Briefly. We met at the subway. Jongup gave me his number on his arm," Yongguk said.

The number on Yongguk's arm was fading from his arm, but he could still read the number. Jongup felt embarrassed when Himchan let out a low whistle.

"I'm surprised. I didn't think my little brother would give out his number to just anyone on the subway," Himchan joked.

"He said that he wanted a date to bring so that he would stop Himchan from setting him up with dates. I didn't think he meant you," Jongup told him.

"Aw. Such a sap. But anyway, you two should actually talk now. I did a lot of trouble pulling this together," Himchan said.

Before Jongup could say that his statement didn't make sense, Himchan immediately let the kitchen and went who knew where. Jongup didn't bother and looked up at Yongguk.

"So you're Himchan's brother. He mentioned a brother in college, but I never got to meet him," Yongguk said.

"Well, now you do," Jongup added shyly.

"Hey, wanna go out then? We don't have to stick to just soulmates, you know. Until you find the one you're looking for, I can be your fill in," Yongguk offered.

Jongup smiled softly and agreed. He was going to find his soulmate eventually, but he really likes Yongguk a little bit, and he wants to get to know him. Plus, Jongup wants to experience a boyfriend just this once anyway.

\-----

As time began to pass, Jongup began to form feelings for Yongguk. Real, emotional, and physical feelings. He felt like he could see his entire life with the older. Yongguk still believes that Jongup's real soulmate would appear and sweep Jongup off his feet.

Why would Jongup need that when he has Yongguk?

One of the things that Jongup fears, however, is that not everybody gets a soulmate. Many people are content about not needing one. Those who do have soulmates commit suicide when they find out their soulmate is part of the same sex. There are protests around about soulmates being illegal.

"Hey, ignore them," Yongguk tells him.

Jongup clutches onto Jongup like a lifeline. He continues walking as one of the protestors noticed them.

"You two!" a voice called out.

Jongup wanted to ignore them so badly, but one of the protestors stopped in front of them and held up a clipboard.

"Sign for our cause? It's about time we stop letting those who believe they can dictate our lives a piece of our mind once and for all.

"But... it's our soulmates. They've been with us since the universe was created. Why should we take that away from someone who wants to experience seeing the person they love, whether it's platonic or romantic, away from them?" Jongup asked him.

"You're one of them, aren't you?" the protestor asked, looking disgusted.

"I-"

"It's people like you that makes this harder for the rest of us! What about those who don't have soulmates? They're going to walk around wondering what's wrong with them! Its people like you that we need to shut down," the man shouted.

Jongup and Yongguk saw the protestors walking towards them. The two bolted and quickly ran away as quickly as they could. They turned their heads and saw the protestors gaining up behind them. The two turned into an alleyway, hoping to lose them, but it was a dead end. The protestors continued running, but a few saw Yongguk and Jongup enter inside the alleyway. One of them held something shiny and Yongguk immediately knew that it was a gun. Jongup saw the glint and clutched onto Yongguk's shirt tightly.

"Yongguk, we've known each other for three years now. I don't care if I'm your soulmate. What matters is that you're mine! I love you," Jongup confessed.

A loud /bang/ was heard all around the alleyway. The two lovers froze and Yongguk saw Jongup coughing up blood. Yongguk saw the protestors looking frozen and immediately ran away. Yongguk laid Jongup down on the concrete floor and held onto Jongup tightly.

"Jongup please! I love you, too! Please don't leave me in this world," Yongguk pleaded, kissing Jongup's bloodied lips.

Jongup shook his head and felt himself trembling. The two could hear the ambulance coming, but it was too late.

Jongup's eyes were fading from the world, and he fell limp into Yongguk's arms. Yongguk saw the gun that the protestors dropped. He grabbed the gun and tucked it under his chin.

"I'm right behind you, Jongup," Yongguk whispered.

Yongguk held Jongup's hand as the gun soon went off. The two laid there until the paramedics found them.


	41. Not Enough to Let You Go

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Week 41: A tragedy that ends in romance.

Daehyun is dead. He's known he's dead for some time now. However, watching the person he loves the most suffer through an invisible veil hurts more than finding out he's dead.

He remembered a bright light, but a voice told him that he needed to wait for someone. Someone important. He didn't understand what he meant, until he was forced to watch Himchan suffer alone in the apartment they shared. They were supposed to get married next month, but plans never did seem to go as according to plan.

"Himchan," Daehyun whispered, running his hand through the older's hair.

Instead, his hand went through Himchan's head as he continued to break down crying. If Daehyun's heart was still beating, he would cry with him because he hated how Himchan cried. It broke his heart more than he thought.

"Why did you leave me? Why did you leave me alone in this world?" Himchan demanded.

Daehyun choked back his tears. He didn't think he could cry. Could ghosts cry? He didn't know. Himchan was kneeling in front of Daehyun's grave. It's been exactly four days, ten hours, and some odd minutes since Daehyun died. His death is still fresh and in everybody's mind. He remembered being in Himchan's car when he died. A huge truck crashed into them. Daehyun's side. He died on impact. Himchan survived, and he has been apologizing to his grave ever since.

"I don't blame you, love. You didn't see the truck," Daehyun whispered.

Himchan continued to cry. His heart was breaking. Daehyun could feel his breaking, too.

\-----

It's been exactly two years, seven days, three hours, and some odd minutes. Himchan is still wallowing in the shared apartment that they have. Most of Daehyun's stuff has been sold because Himchan couldn't' bear to see the memory of Daehyun. The pictures stayed, and some of his blankets remained. Daehyun tried to feel the rough wool that his mother gave him when they were first moving in together. Himchan curled up on the couch, watching some bad reality television. However, Himchan wasn't paying attention to the screen.

His eyes were blank and hollow. Daehyun sighed and sat in front of him. Daehyun sometimes did this when the two were alone and Himchan stared off into space. Daehyun would sit right in front of Himchan and smile playfully. Himchan would jump in fright and glare at Daehyun.

"God, you scared me! I hate it when you do that," Himchan complained.

Daehyun would only laugh at his boyfriend's misery.

Not Daehyun wishes that Himchan could see him. See that he's still around. It hurt Daehyun that he's dead, while his boyfriend continues to live. He would've preferred that he went to wherever it was that dead people went to, but something or someone told him to stay put. So he did.

It only hurts Daehyun more.

Daehyun jumped when he heard the phone ringing. A familiar ringtone that Daehyun placed as Himchan's permanent ringtone whenever someone called him. It was a stupid song. A song that he would laugh at whenever it would ring because Himchan would try and quickly silence it.

He's surprised that Himchan hasn't changed it.

Himchan, however, ignored the call and continued to watch aimlessly at the television.

Daehyun doesn't know what to do.

\-----

It's been five years, four months, eighteen days, two hours, and some odd minutes. Daehyun is sitting on a chair, waiting patiently for Himchan's date to arrive. It pained Daehyun that Himchan is dating again, but he knew it was time for Himchan to move on. The date was female. She was pretty, with long brown hair and doe-like eyes. Her lips were a bit thin, but her outfit made her look cute. Himchan, being the gentleman he is, offered her a seat, and sat back down in his own chair.

Daehyun didn't really like her. Her voice was shrill, her comments to the waiter were rude, and he was pretty sure he asked Himchan, in a cutesy voice, to let her order to more expensive item on the menu. After the date, the girl asked for him to call her back. Himchan tore up the number when he knows that he's a safe distance away from her. Daehyun sighed and continued following him to wherever it was that he was going to go. He looked at the older's phone and saw pictures of them.

Himchan hasn't moved on yet.

\-----

It's been exactly six years, eight months, five days, and some odd minutes. Himchan finally saw him.

Daehyun was sitting at the kitchen table. No, like, literally. He was floating on top of the kitchen table with his legs crosses. He stared at the home cooked meal that Himchan was preparing for himself. Some of them were recipes that Daehyun made comments about, but Himchan looked happy to continue making himself food to eat.

Himchan saw him when he was sitting down.

Daehyun was bored out of his mind and saw Himchan eating his food with content.

"Himchan, I want some, too," Daehyun said in a monotone voice.

He remembered Himchan making him food, and Daehyun would cutely ask him to make him food. Himchan would pretend to be annoyed, but would make Daehyun something to eat either way.

"Sure, love, let me just-"

Daehyun froze, and so did Himchan. Himchan slowly looked up and saw Daehyun sitting on his kitchen table.

"D-Daehyun?" Himchan asked, staring up at him.

Daehyun gave an awkward smile and wave.

"H-hi," Daehyun greeted.

"But... you're dead. I saw your grave," Himchan stated.

"I am dead. I'm a ghost, really. I've been stuck here," Daehyun explained.

Himchan looked like he was about to cry. Daehyun didn't blame him if he did.

"How long were you here?" Himchan asked.

"About six years, eight months, five days, and now ten hours. I've wanted to tell you for so long, but I only pass through things. It's a miracle that you can see me now," Daehyun tells him.

"But that means something, doesn't it? Doesn't it mean that I might die?" Himchan asked him.

"I don't know. I don't know how the whole ghost thing works. All I know is that I was told to wait until someone else dies. I don't know how long that will be or who will be with me when I go into another life. Either way, I want to tell you that I love you, but I also want you to be happy," Daehyun tells him.

Himchan let out a startled breath, with tears running down his cheeks. Daehyun saw Himchan's hand passing through his cheek and shivered at the touch. The touch felt icy cool when it passes through, and yet the only thing it did was warm him up.

\-----

It's been exactly ten years, seven months, fifty-two days, eleven hours, and some odd minutes. Himchan was in a bad car accident. Daehyun was watching it all happen in front of him. Himchan has lost a lot of blood and it's scaring him.

"He's losing blood fast. Get him inside the ambulance," someone ordered.

Daehyun followed them inside. He could see Himchan's soul going gray and trying to leave. Daehyun tried to hold Himchan's hand, but it only went through. He watched the paramedics trying to revive Himchan as best as they could. Daehyun knows that Himchan is dying.

When the ambulance came out, they rolled Himchan's stretcher into the hospital and began to perform whatever means necessary to revive Himchan. Daehyun turned his head and saw Himchan's ghost standing next to him.

"Is this what dying feels like?" Himchan asked.

Daehyun wanted to cry.

"Sometimes. Other times it feels like falling asleep," Daehyun tells him.

Himchan turns his head and smiles sadly.

"I'm so sorry it took this long, love. I'm here now," Himchan tells him.

Daehyun finally reached his hand out towards him and placed his hand on Himchan's face. It felt almost solid from his touch.

"Now we can go home," Daehyun tells him.

Himchan leaned forward and pressed Daehyun's lips against his own. They felt a warm light breaching through them, and then nothing.


	42. Never Getting Older

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Week 42: A retelling of a recent Hollywood movie.

Jongup, Yongguk realized, could not be dealt with. No matter how many times Yongguk tries to get Jongup to see his side, the younger refuses. He believes that humans will fear them, and Yongguk points out that Jongup gives them every reason to fear mutants. Jongup causes destruction whenever someone insults or tries to silence mutants. Yongguk tries everything to get into his old friend's mind, but Jongup blocks him out so easily.

"You can't reason with him," Junhong tells him.

Yongguk looked up at him and sighed.

"I know, but I have to keep trying. He's broken inside. I'm not saying I should fix him, but I need him to see that there is still hope in this world for him that continues to reject him," Yongguk tells him.

Yongguk has a past with Jongup. He was his friend when they were kids, when Jongup snuck into his home to look for food. Back then, his eyes were a warm color of brown that he loved to continue staring into. With practice with Jongup's lightning, his eyes began to turn milky white whenever he used his power. Yongguk's telekinetic power helped Jongup through the training that he needed. He delved deeper into Jongup's past and made him realize that there is still good in him.

"Yongguk, we just spotted Jongup," he heard Himchan call out.

Yongguk stood up and walked out of the room, with Junhong trailing behind.

"Yongguk, he can't be reasoned with. No matter how many times you try to see the good in him, he won't join us. Why don't you give up on him?" Junhong asked him.

Yongguk stopped and sighed. Junhong wouldn't understand. He wasn't there when Jongup was practicing with him.

"Because he never gave up on me," Yongguk replied.

\-----

Jongup felt the static coursing through his fingers. People began to run away in fear that they would be next. Jongup wasn't aiming for them, anyway. He was mostly aiming for the building itself. It contained mutants as lab rats, and Jongup is hoping to free them.

"This is your last warning! Release the mutants and I won't destroy this place," Jongup warned.

The building was silent. He then heard bullets ricocheting from the building and Jongup sighed. He used his lightning and vaporized them and walked inside. The static was growing more intense.

"Stop right there, freak!" an angry voice commanded.

Jongup did nothing except caused a little lightning strike next to the security guard and continued walking. The electricity continued to grow warm and dangerous.

When he entered inside the lab, he saw scientists cuddled against the corner. Mutants couldn't really go anywhere since they were strapped onto the gurneys. He used a bit of static to break the hold and got them to leave quickly. They all filed out and made their way outside.

"I could kill you and destroy this building, but I won't because this wasn't your plan. You're just doing as you were told like sheep. Instead, I will leave you to suffer here. Now, where is your boss?" Jongup demanded.

All the scientists, without hesitation, pointed at the door next to them. Jongup tried to open the door, but it was locked. He used the electricity around the room and melted the door easily. He entered inside and saw five men, trying to gather their information and stuffing them in their bags.

"Hey, you can't be in here!" one of them shouted.

"And yet, here I am," Jongup responded.

Jongup shocked all of them close to their heart, killing them instantly.

"And here you are not," Jongup muttered.

He left the room and began to exit the building. Some of the mutants fled, finding a new place to hide. Others stayed behind, so they could see who their savior was.

"Who are you?" one of them asked.

"I am Light Show. If you all want, you can join me and liberate the mutants who have been in the same situation as you. I won't force you, but it would be nice to work in numbers," Jongup offered.

They all stepped forward, as a way to say that they were with him. Jongup only smiled. He still has some work to do.

\-----

Yongguk surveyed the scene that Jongup left behind. The building wasn't old, per say, but it did have some sort of significance. The scientists told them the frightening story of a demon emerging from the shadows and destroyed all of their hard work. Yongguk was getting a migraine because he saw all of these mutants on gurneys. Some of them killed due to their experiments. And all the scientists cared as the research that they did. Their five bosses where murdered in cold blood.

"Yongguk, he's a murderer," Daehyun reasoned.

"I know that. He belongs in jail. He won't go willingly, however. I need to speak with him," Yongguk said.

"Yongguk, be serious! You can't face him. He's way to powerful than we thought," Youngjae tells him.

"You have so little faith. I actually arranged a meeting with him later in the afternoon. I plan to put an end to this," Yongguk tells him.

All of them began to argue about this and told him that it was going to be dangerous, but Yongguk stopped them.

"I started this, and I plan to end it. He's in this situation because I placed him there. If he sees reason, we will join us. If not, then I won't hesitate to arrest him," Yongguk tells him.

The team got back in their jet and began to make their way back home to the school.

\-----

The garden was been fixed rather nicely. Especially considering that Jongup accidentally destroyed it when he was getting used to his powers. Yongguk took a sip of his tea and stared at the butterflies.

"I see that you started without me," he heard Jongup say.

Yongguk looked up and sees Jongup, taking his seat across him. Jongup looks older. Gone were the chubby cheeks and soft smiles and came sharper features and hard lines. He looked so different.

"I see age has not skipped you," Yongguk says.

"And I see age has done the same. Tell me, old friend, what are you planning to do with me?" Jongup asked.

"Convince you to fight on my side. What you're doing is murdering people. We can take them in and judge them for ourselves," Yongguk tells him.

"That's not the man I met so many years ago. You talked about justice and fighting for our brothers and sisters, and yet you refuse to do anything about the mutants who are forced to be lab rats for scientists. Tell me, friend, when were you going to free those who can't be free?" Jongup pointed out.

Yongguk said nothing as he continued to stare at him.

"You think you're freeing them? You're giving them fear. And fear can only give you so much to deal with. Fear turns into resentment," Yongguk pointed out.

"It may, but at least we're standing for something we're against. What are you standing for?" Jongup asked.

Yongguk sighed as watches as his old friend leaves the room.

\-----

"You're not going to get to him. He's made it clear that he doesn't want to see you," he heard Himchan state.

Yongguk groaned. He loved doing telekinetic com links, it's annoying and he could do without it. However, it's better to have it because there were instances when their original com links were hacked into.

"Just let me deal with him. He and I have unfinished business to take care of," Yongguk tells him.

Yongguk walked into an almost empty room, with Jongup standing in the middle. Jongup turns his body to finally face Yongguk.

"You never seem to give up, do you?" Jongup asked him.

"Jongup, they will find you and they will _kill_ you," Yongguk warned.

"I'm not afraid of dying, Yongguk. You of all people should know that. So tell me the real reason why you're here," Jongup said.

Yongguk sighed and stepped closer to his friend.  
"I'm here to take you in. Willingly or by force. I know you and I know you will come willingly," Yongguk said.

Yongguk sees Jongup pondering at the request.

"Fine."

Yongguk snaps his head up and wonders if he heard right.

"Wait, are you serious?" Yongguk asked.

"Yes. I'll leave willingly. But first, you must give me something in return," Jongup challenges.

Yongguk raised an eyebrow. His friend was unpredictable when he asked for things. He wasn't sure if it was a lighter jail sentence or something to do with mutants or-

"I want you to kiss me."

Wait.

"What?" Yongguk asks.

"You heard me. Oh, don't be so naïve. People could sense our sexual tension a mile away. I don't know how long I'll be forced in captivity, so I want something that I know I can remember. A kiss, and I'll walk with you," Jongup says.

Yongguk considers, but does it anyway. Yongguk pressed his mouth on top of Jongup's lips. His lips felt soft, yet there was an electric shock coursing through his body. He pulled away first, staring at Jongup's semi-milky white eyes. He snapped a pair of plastic handcuffs over Jongup's wrists and lead him out of the building.

Jongup only smirked and followed Yongguk outside.


	43. 1995

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Week 43: A story that takes place the year you were born.

The year was 1995. Everything was completely different. For one thing, everything was dangerous and frightening. For Youngjae and Junhong, they had each other. It was mostly drugs and lust, but they didn't care. They used each other and that was it.

"We should get married or some shit?" Junhong suggested, taking a drag from his cigarette and blowing the smoke out.

Youngjae stared at him and raised an eyebrow.

"Yeah, not happening. I'm pretty sure we'd get a divorce real fast," Youngjae points out.

"Come on, it won't be that bad," Junhong said.

"Junhong, we're both from rival gangs. I'm surprised that they didn't kill you for being in a relationship with me," Youngjae says.

"Well, I left the gang life. Sure, it was a bit difficult, but they won't find me. Come on, we're done with school and neither of us are going to college. We'll only get married for tax benefits," Junhong convinced.

"Junhong, no. We're not even in love with each other. We only deal with one another because of sex and drugs. Which reminds me, did you get the cocaine?" Youngjae points out.

Junhong rolled his eyes, but took out a small baggy of cocaine. The two went over to a nearby table and began to split the cocaine into ten rows. Youngjae took out a dollar bill and rolled it nice and tight. Junhong did the same.

"I still think we should do something with our relationship," Junhong said.

Youngjae said nothing as he snorted up his five rows. Youngjae took a deep breath and let out a sigh.

"Junhong, our relationship is dangerous. It's sex and drugs and nothing in between. You'll get tired of me and find some nice girl once you start cleaning yourself up," Youngjae tells him.

He heard Junhong humming in response.

"We'll see," Junhong muttered, taking another drag from his cigarette.

\-----

Youngjae woke up first. He crawled out of bed and began to put on his clothes.

"What, no cuddling?" Junhong asked.

"You know I don't cuddle. I need to get home before my mom and her boyfriend freak out that I'm not home. Who knows what her boyfriend will do to me when I'm home late," Youngjae says, putting on his jeans.

"Ugh. Your mom's boyfriend scares me. At least my dad married some nice girl," Junhong said as he began to put on his own clothes.

After Youngjae was done putting on his clothes, he began to make his way out of Junhong's room.

"Hey, aren't you forgetting something?" Junhong asked.

"I'm not giving you a kiss. It'll start with those strange thoughts on marriage and shit," Youngjae tells him.

"Come on! It's California! The one state that doesn't care," Junhong said.

"I heard they were changing the laws this time. We're contracted with AIDs, you know. For now, we're only good for sex and drugs. See ya tomorrow," Youngjae says.

Junhong only pouts, but says nothing. He watched Youngjae leaving and decides to light up a cigarette.

\-----

Junhong and Youngjae were running. Where, they didn't know. Anywhere that could make them lose the cops. They were caught snorting cocaine in the bathroom and quickly booked it when he saw three cops spying on them in the bathroom. Youngjae, being the intelligent one, flushed the drugs down the toilet before they could have a change to do anything, but they were still on them because of doing drugs.

Youngjae and Junhong cut across a nearby park and began to hide in a thick tree. They hid in there until the cop cars began to grow tired of them and find something else for them to arrest.

"Shit, that was exciting," Junhong said.

The two crawled out of the tree and leaned against it.

"Junhong... I think I'm going to get clean," Youngjae started.

Junhong snapped his head over to him.

"Wait, you can't! Who's going to be my drug buddy?" Junhong asked.

"I think you should get clean, too. If you're really serious of making our relationship into something more, then you would get clean and see if you're actually serious about it," Youngjae explained.

Junhong sighed, but knew that Youngjae was right.

"Fine. We'll both get clean together. Now I can finally stop buying drugs for myself," Junhong said. "Which reminds me, you owe me forty bucks."

"Forty- who spends that much money on drugs?" Youngjae asked, bewildered.

The two began to leave the park and into a new future that they both don't know where it'll take them.


	44. A Reason

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Week 44: A story about a near-death experience.

Himchan is dead. He knows it. It doesn't feel real, however. He looked around the area to see what exactly is going on.

"Confused?" a familiar, yet unfamiliar, voice asked.

Himchan turns around and sees an unknown stranger sitting on the floor, smiling gently at him.

"Who… who are you?" Himchan asked.

"The million-dollar question. I'm a figment of your imagination. You've either seen me before or have imagined someone like me. You can name me anything. I'm actually here to keep you company," the stranger answered.

Himchan realized why this man was familiar. He was the barista he saw earlier this morning before his car crash. He was always sweet and talked to him, even though Himchan never has the time to actually say anything to him.

"You're Daehyun. You're the barista I saw before I got into that crash," Himchan said.

"If that's who he is, then I'm him! If you listen carefully, you can hear your loved ones sobbing over you," Daehyun says.

Himchan did as Daehyun said and listened carefully. He could hear his parents sobbing over his body and his sister begging for him to wake up. Himchan didn't know what to do.

"So… am I dead?" Himchan asked.

"Mm, somewhat. You're not dead, but you're not alive, either. You're in between, I think. Coma! That's what I'm thinking of," Daehyun explained.

Himchan saw the figure laying around, getting himself comfortable on the somewhat floor. Himchan wasn't sure what this person is doing or what, exactly, it is.

"What are you, exactly. I know for a fact that Daehyun isn't dead," Himchan said.

"I told you. I'm a figment," Daehyun explained, clearly annoyed.

"And I don't believe you."

Daehyun puffed his cheeks, annoyed by Himchan's persistence.

"Would you believe me if I said I was an angel?" Daehyun asked.

"No," Himchan said.

"Then we'll stick with figment for now," Daehyun said again.

Himchan was about to argue with him, until he heard another voice.

"Excuse me, is this Mr. Kim's room?" a familiar voice asked.

Himchan was floored. Was that Daehyun? He turned his head and saw that Daehyun in his mind wasn't there anymore.

"Are you a friend of our son's?" his father asked.

"Oh, I wish. No, I only serve him coffee in the morning sometimes. I heard he got in an accident and I want to make sure he's okay," Daehyun's voice explained.

Himchan wanted to cry. It wasn't obvious that he rather adored the young barista. He was always so chipper and adorable in the morning. Yongguk, the owner, has called out on him about it and Himchan would only ignore his friend about that. Daehyun sounded worried, though. He was afraid of what Daehyun looked like.

"Well, we were about to go down to the cafeteria. We skipped lunch earlier. You can stay in here if you wish," his mother said.

"Oh, no, I wouldn't want to intrude-"

"Nonsense. I'm sure our son adored you and would appreciate that you say something to him. Maybe something would happen," his mother said.

Himchan heard his parents' and his sister's footsteps leaving the room. He waited until he heard something.

"I'm… I'm not good at this. I heard that people in a coma could still hear people around them. I don't want to do anything, in case that theory is true. But everybody is worried about you at the café. Yongguk, Jongup, Youngjae, even Junhong is worried about you, and I know how you despise the man. Even I'm worried about you. You always make my mornings a little brighter, even though you are a bit of a grouch," Daehyun said.

Himchan wanted to reach out and hold his hand. Just something to make Daehyun know that he cares about the younger.

"I know you probably think I'm an annoyance, but I do care about you. I think… I think I've fallen for you at some point. Hopefully you'll wake up and tell me the same, but that's only hopeful thinking," Daehyun muttered.

Himchan can hear someone entering his room. Daehyun excuse himself and Himchan could hear him leaving. He didn't want him to leave.

\-----

It's been weeks. Daehyun has been visiting a few times. He mostly plays music. Whenever Daehyun isn't here, a figment of Daehyun enters into his mind.

"When you wake up, you should tell the small one how you feel," Daehyun tells him, smiling cheekily.

Himchan waved him off as nothing. Then he heard the implication of the younger's words.

"Wait, when? I'm gonna wake up?" Himchan asked.

"Oops, spoilers. They won't like that," Daehyun muttered, looking up at the empty vast of blackness.

"How? How do I wake up?" Himchan asked.

"I dunno. They never tell us anything. You gotta have a reason to," Daehyun explained, looking completely bored.

Himchan huphed in annoyance. He sighed as he began to think for a reason to stay. His family, obviously. His friends were another reason. A job he loves so much, but it isn't enough.

And then the reason why there's a Daehyun in his mind during his coma.

"I'm staying for Daehyun," Himchan muttered.

He jumped slightly when Daehyun popped right in front of him. Daehyun placed his hand over the older's face and everything went dark.

\-----

Daehyun wiped down the counters and began to start cleaning the display case. It was getting filthy.

"Excuse me," a familiar voice said.

Daehyun immediately shot up and sees Himchan smiling softly at him. He was dressed like he usually would in the fall, with a messenger bag over his shoulder and a light blue scarf around his neck.

"Daehyun? My name is Kim Himchan. I believe we need a talk," Himchan tells him.

Daehyun followed him outside the café. He looked behind him, with Yongguk urging him to follow Himchan outside.

The workers smiled happily, and began to exchange money when they saw Himchan gently kissing Daehyun's lips.


	45. Anger

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Week 45: A story about anger.

Anger was never new to Youngjae. He felt anger when he was a kid. When he was an adult. There was always something to be angry about.

Especially now.

"I fucking told you to pick up your clothes before. Why haven't you fucking picked them up?" Youngjae demanded.

"I did! I just grabbed a few and placed them in the washer. I was about to grab these," Junhong argued.

"Don't lie to me! You were on your ass when I got home," Youngjae said.

"Because I just finished doing the dishes, cleaning the bathroom, and taking out the fucking trash, since you never seem to do it," Junhong shouted.

Youngjae could feel his anger rising.

"Maybe if you actually did the chores I asked you before, I wouldn't have to nag you. And I do, too, take the trash out and clean the dishes," Youngjae argued.

"Really? When? Tell me when you have ever cleaned a single dish and I'll admit you're right," Junhong challenged.

Youngjae was a bit stumped. Dishes, sure, but he does remember taking the trash out.

"Maybe not the dishes, but I have taken the trash out a few times. And I have cleaned that fucking bathroom until it was spotless. It's your dumbass that refuses to even help clean up the trash that is littered around the house," Youngjae seethed.

Youngjae and Junhong have been together since they met in college. They decided to live together and it's been three years. They've fought before about the apartment. This wasn't anything new.

"Fuck this, I'm leaving," Youngjae finally stated.

"Fine!" Junhong shouted.

Youngjae grabbed his keys and began to leave the apartment. He slammed the door behind him, got in his car, then realized something. This was his place. He lives and pays rent here. Youngjae groaned and got out of the car. He walked back up to the door and opened it awkwardly. He peaked inside and sees Junhong picking up his clothes and began to place them in the laundry basket.

"Hey," Youngjae greeted awkwardly.

Junhong turned around and smiled softly. The two shared a laugh, and then began to clean the place up a bit together.


	46. You Got Me Wrapped Up

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Week 46: A story about a magic spell.

Jongup was fucked.

He was trying all day to get this spell right, but it didn't seem to be working. _Find a happy memory_ they said. He had loads of happy memories, but none of them seem to be strong enough to hold. He groaned and threw his hand halfway across the room. Then he realized that it was dumb and went to go retrieve it.

"Hey, can I come in?" he heard Yongguk ask.

Jongup shot his head up hearing Yongguk's voice. He grabbed his hand and took a deep breath.

"Yeah, you could enter," Jongup called out.

Jongup dusted himself off and saw Yongguk entering inside the room. His Hufflepuff robes looked a little dirty from being outside playing quidditch with his house. Jongup's own Ravenclaw robes looked pretty clean.

"I thought I'd find you here. What are you doing in here?" Yongguk asked.

The room of requirements was closed off until they fixed it. It now served as a little haven for Jongup to practice his spells.

"Practicing. I can't seem to get this one spells," Jongup said.

"What spell are you trying to figure out?" Yongguk asked.

"The patronus spell. I was supposed to figure it out last week, but it's hard to produce a happy memory," Jongup admitted.

Yongguk ran his fingers through Jongup's hair, which relaxed him a bit. Jongup and him have been dating (secretly) for about a year now. Yongguk knew exactly what it is that could help Jongup relax. Yongguk kissed his forehead softly.

"Come on, it can't be that hard," Yongguk said.

"Easy for you to say. You already got the spell down to a T," Jongup said.

"Maybe you should take a break. Lunch is about to be served and I know how much you like those sandwiches," Yongguk said.

Jongup did skip breakfast so that he could practice. It wouldn't hurt that he went to get something to eat, at least.

\-----

After lunch, Jongup went back to the room and continued to practice, with Yongguk watching beside him.

"Expecto patronum," Jongup muttered.

The light stayed for a minute, and then faded. Jongup groaned and stared at his wand in question.

"I think you're thinking too hard," Yongguk concluded.

"Well, it's difficult. I can't think of a happy memory that's strong enough to stay," Jongup explained, trying to rack into his brain something happy.

Then, without warning, he felt Yongguk wrapping his arms around Jongup's waist and pressed the younger's body against his own.

"Do you remember our first date?" Yongguk asked.

"God, that was a disaster. I didn't even know pixies were attracted to chocolate," Jongup said.

Yongguk laughed at that.

"Do you remember what happened after?" Yongguk asked again.

Jongup remembered. The date was a disaster, sure, but the kiss after still stuck to him. He remembered feeling happy and giddy. He remembered feeling Yongguk's fingers against his face as the two kissed.

"Try and think of that," Yongguk offered.

Jongup took a deep breath and imagined that moment. He was so happy that Yongguk even asked him out in the first place. The date, at first, was so romantic and lovely. And then it went to shits when some idiot produced some pixies and other stuff that made Jongup and Yongguk quickly run out of the restaurant. When the two went back to the Ravenclaw dorm, Jongup answered the riddle correctly.

"Thanks. I had a good time," Jongup said.

"Even though it kind of went to shits?" Yongguk asked.

"Hey, it was hilarious! Sure, it kind of ruined the date, but it was still fun," Jongup answered.

Then, Yongguk kissed Jongup softly. It was a small peck, but it still gave Jongup a lot of emotions that he didn't think would surface.

He snapped out of his thoughts and held his want out.

"Expecto patronum," Jongup muttered.

The light came out, as usual, but instead of fizzing out a minute in, a shape began to take place. The shape of a lion began to form from the light and Jongup smiled widely.

"I find it hilarious that your patronus is a lion, yet your house mascot is an eagle," Yongguk told him.

"Hey, at least I got one to form. What's yours?" Jongup asked.

Yongguk muttered the spell and a glowing light began to form. Out came a tiger, roaring for emphasis. The lion and the tiger cuddled up together and the two smiled at the scene in front of them.


	47. Not in Kansas

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Week 47: A story set in a strange small town.

The drive down to the beach took a lot longer than either of them could have guessed. For one, Daehyun was still learning to drive, and Himchan was horrible with directions. Both of them accidentally arrived at some small town that looked somewhat empty.

"I told you to make a left, not a right," Himchan argued.

"Well, if you drove the car instead of force the responsibility on me, this wouldn't have happened," Himchan argued.

The car, thankfully, looked fine. It still ran, but Himchan insisted that they ask for directions. The two arrived at a small town that neither of them have heard of.

"Is there anyone here?" Himchan called out.

Daehyun was a little freaked out about the place. It looked abandoned and old, since the gas prices were cheap and the year didn't match. It looked like it was from eighty years ago. He didn't feel safe.

"Himchan, I think that we should go," Daehyun said.

Himchan didn't blame him. This town gave him the creeps as well.

"Let's try one more place. If no one is here, then we use our phones as a GPS," Himchan said.

The two made their way to the city hall. They saw that there weren't people inside. It was starting to turn even creepier.

"Okay, yeah, we're leaving," Himchan states.

The two quickly made their way out of the town hall and walked towards their car, but saw a bit of graffiti on their car. Mostly threats and the such. They enter inside the car and quickly got the hell out of there. Himchan was driving while Daehyun was looking behind them to see if anyone was following them.

As soon as they left the small town, they saw a few pair of glowing red eyes.


	48. Justice

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Week 48: A story about justice being done.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> warning: mentions of rape

The case the two took up was something that they have been fighting with for years. Decades maybe. They sat in court, folding their hands on top of the desk. Their client sat next to them, who clutched onto Himchan's suit jacket.

"We have our first witness to the stand. We call up the accuser's girlfriend," the opposing lawyer called up.

The two watched a rather beautiful woman walking up to the witness stand. After saying her oath, she sat down and waited patiently.

"Ms. Jun. You have been dating Mr. Lee for some time. Has he ever touched you inappropriately?" the opposing lawyer asked her.

"No. He always asked me for consent. He was never forceful," she answered.

"So then would you say that him raping Ms. Kim was a lie?" the lawyer, Mr. Cha, asked her.

"Of course. My boyfriend would never touch someone without consent," she said.

Cha sat back down, as if to say no further questions. Daehyun stood up first. He studied the girl intently.

"Ms. Jun. How long have you known Mr. Lee?" Daehyun asked.

"For about eight months," she answered.

"So technically, you don't know your boyfriend that well," he accused.

"Of course I do! He and I know each other very well," she said.

"I'm sure. I mean, he hasn't touched you inappropriately, but what about another eight months down the line? Another six? Maybe a year? What'll happen when you start saying no?" Daehyun asked.

"Objection, your honor. He's interrogating my witness," Cha shouted.

"I'm merely giving her a perspective of what would happen. It's been evident that Mr. Lee has raped and abused his previous girlfriends in the past," Daehyun said.

The judge said nothing. Ms. Jun stared at Daehyun in shock.

"It's different with me. He loves me. He would never hurt me," she stated.

"Every relationship that has an abusive partner says the same thing. It doesn't have to be physical or sexual, you know. Verbal abuse is still abuse," Daehyun stated.

Ms. Jun began to play with her hair hesitantly. Daehyun only smiled politely and went to sit back down. Ms. Jun got up from her seat and walked back down to her previous seat.

"I call Ms. Kim to the witness stand," Himchan called out.

Their client hesitantly got up and went to sit down on the witness stand. She played around with the hem of her dress and waited.

"Ms. Kim, can you explain what happened at the party you attended?" Himchan asked her.

"I was with some friends. They were all drinking together, but I was their designated driver. I didn't want to drink, so I've been drinking soda and water throughout the party," she answered.

"And, if you want to, can you explain what happened before you blacked out?" Himchan requested.

Their client took a deep breath. She looked over at the other side and saw Mr. Lee glaring at her.

"I saw Insoo walking up to me. We were talking with one another. I thought I saw him putting something in a drink, but it was too dark and the lights were blinding. I thought it was a trick of the eye. I remembered drinking my soda and then…"

Himchan reached out a hand to her. Ms. Kim held onto his hand and tried to keep her composure.

"And where, exactly, did you hear about your rape?" Himchan asked.

"Facebook, mostly. Isn't that where everybody gets their information? My friends told me about it. I didn't know what was going on. I saw the pictures and… I still couldn't believe it," Ms. Kim said.

Himchan smiled kindly at her. He announced no further questions and sat back down. He saw Cha getting up from his seat. They knew how he would be to the rape victims.

"Ms. Kim, are you saying that you don't remember exactly what happened?" he asked.

"I don't. I just remembered drinking and when I woke up, I was at the doctor's," she answered.

"We have your test results. It turns out that you have been drinking at that party. Your toxicology reported that you have some substance in your bloodstream," Cha said.

"Or it could be the date rape drugs that your client forced into her drink," Daehyun interrupted.

"Your honor-"

"Mr. Jung, wait," the judge warned.

Daehyun glared at Cha silently.

"Anyway, are you sure you were drinking water and soda and not, let's say, some sort of alcohol? I heard your youth is very much into the drinking culture," Cha accused.

"I was sober. I had a huge X on my hand. That meant that I wasn't allowed any drinks because I was the designated driver," she said.

Cha looked at her up and down, almost like he was trying to see if she was lying.

"What were you wearing?" Cha asked.

"Objection," both Himchan and Daehyun shouted.

"Your honor, Cha is claiming that our client was raped because of what she wore, not because his client couldn't find any action at the party and decided to result to rape," Himchan accused.

"I'm merely asking a question," Cha said innocently.

"Overrules. Cha, you can't ask her that," the judge said.

Cha said nothing as he began to sit down.

"Actually, I would like to answer that question," Ms. Kim announced.

The judge allowed her. Ms. Kim took a deep breath.

"I was wearing a shirt and jeans. A pullover sweater over my shirt, too, because it was cold outside. If I was wearing a skimpy dress, would I have deserved it? What about a tank top and some booty shorts? Would I have deserved it then? Your idea that my clothes have made your client horny somehow is the reason why rape victims like myself blame themselves for being raped, instead of blaming their rapist," she declared.

Himchan and Daehyun were impressed. They say Ms. Kim sitting down beside them and letting out a shaky breath. Himchan gently held her hand and smiled proudly.

\-----

The entire case went on for about a month. Mostly back and forth. From friends and colleagues, to relationships, too. It made Daehyun's head spin. Finally, after giving their closing statement, the jurors went into another room to cast their votes. Ms. Kim looked nervous. Himchan and Daehyun looked over at Cha and his client. His client gave Ms. Kim hungry eyes, which made her extremely uncomfortable. Himchan and Daehyun were taking turns in comforting her as best as they could. After a few hours later, the jurors finally came out and sat back down.

"Has the jurors came to a decision?" the judge asked them.

"Yes sir. We find Mr. Lee guilty of raping Ms. Kim," the jurors claimed.

"Then it's settled. Mr. Lee, I sentence you to fifteen years' maximum sentence with no parole or bail," the judge declared.

Himchan and Daehyun grinned at their win. They helped Ms. Kim up from their seat. The three left the courtroom and found journalists and reporters already surrounding them. Himchan laced his fingers with Daehyun's and smiled proudly. Daehyun kissed Himchan's cheek on a job well done.

It was now time to face the press.


	49. Brand New Day

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Week 49: Free for all.
> 
> Imagine your OTP in college. Person A, the senior, asks for a high five from B, the freshman, out of the blue. So they do it, and person A laces their fingers and says “We’re dating now, love you bae,” and leaves. So for years, even without having a single conversation, every time they see each other they say, “Hey, bae.”

Junhong is shit scared. He looked at the university campus and saw how huge it actually was. There were students milling around, asking their friends what they did over the summer and talking about the classes they chose. Junhong was alone in this and he didn't know how he felt about that. He was staying on campus, with a dorm mate by the name of Jongup. It was his first year, too, so at least Junhong has a friend for this difficult time.

"Don't worry about it. My brothers said that college is like high school, except that it's more relaxed and we get to choose our classes," Jongup explained.

Junhong didn't know how to feel about that.

His first day of class was strange and surreal. The professors went over briefly the syllabus, and then went straight into the lesson. It confused Junhong a little bit, but took notes either way. He didn't know what was going to be on the test and he sure as hell didn't know if any of this information was going to be on an essay or something. As his last class for the day ended, his stomach began to growl. He began to walk towards the cafeteria and began to choose what kind of foods he should eat.

"Hey freshman, high five," someone said.

Junhong looked up. A junior, by the looks of it, was holding his hand out. He was shorter than him, with cute, puffy cheeks, full lips, and a hairstyle that he wasn't sure he cut himself. He was cute, he wasn't going to lie. Junhong began to high five him, but the junior laced his fingers with the younger's and smirked.

"We're dating now. Love ya, babe," the junior said.

The junior let go of his hand and followed his friends outside the cafeteria. He furrowed his eyebrows and wondered what the hell just happened. He got in line for food, payed for it, and sat down next to Jongup, who watched the entire encounter.

"That was Youngjae. He's notorious for flustering freshman. I guess you're the new meat," Jongup said.

Youngjae. Junhong looked around and saw Youngjae outside with his friends, laughing about something. He looked down at his hand and still felt the tingling sensation that Youngjae left. It was still weird.

"Don't worry about it. The most he can do is just say hi and move on," Jongup said as he began to eat his lunch.

Junhong said nothing as he began to eat his own lunch.

\-----

For the next few days, it began to blur. Finally, it was their final. Junhong didn't realize that everything came by so quickly. During that time, he would spot Youngjae, who would greet him by saying 'hey babe' and leave. Junhong never knew how to respond to that. After his finals were over, he spots Youngjae with a few of his friends. As his friends leave, Junhong walks up to him.

"Why did you pick me?" Junhong asked.

Youngjae looked up and tilted his head.

"Because you're cute. And adorable. I don't know. Take a pick," Youngjae said.

"But you don't know me," he said.

"Kid, it's college. We're supposed to have fun. If it makes you uncomfortable, I'll stop," Youngjae offered.

"No, it's… never mind," Junhong said.

"If you don't tell me what's going on, I will give you strange nicknames next semester," Youngjae threatened.

Junhong felt a bit uncomfortable saying anything. Especially towards an upperclassman.

"People might take is seriously. I don't want you to-"

"Dude, it's not a big deal. I told you this. If it did, I wouldn't have stated that we're dating. If you want, we can go on an actual date," Youngjae said.

Junhong blushed furiously. He simply nodded his head and waited. He felt a piece of paper being placed into his hand. He looked up and saw that Youngjae was now gone. He looked down at the piece of paper and saw Youngjae's number.

\-----

The next semester has finally arrived. When Junhong spots Youngjae, Youngjae greets him with 'hey babe'. Junhong's response is 'sup boo'. Maybe college isn't that terrifying after all.


	50. When the Day Met the Night

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Week 50: A creation myth.

Before the sun and the moon were placed in the sky, they were rulers of two different kingdoms that despised on another. The Sol kingdom stayed up all day, making sure that everybody would finish their tasks on time, while the Luna kingdom stayed up all night, arranging the stars in the sky to tell a story.

Yongguk, the prince of the Sol kingdom, likes to look up at the night sky as the stars began to dance. Even though staying up late could harm his duties as the next king.

Jongup, the prince of the Luna kingdom, liked to stay up and see the light breaking through the sky. Summers were his favorite because everything came to life when the light hit. However, the light makes it harder for him to sleep for the night that is to come.

One summer, however, Jongup was getting ready for the light to disappear by having a small tea party with his moon companions that like to nestle around him. Yongguk, who was growing restless, looked over the brick wall and almost fell off when he saw who he thought was beauty. He continued to stare, until Jongup noted that he was not alone. He looked up and sees a man perched on the ledge of the brick wall.

"Who are you?" Jongup asked. His companions stared at the strange man in question.

"I'm Prince Yongguk of the Sol kingdom. Who are you?" Yongguk asked.

"I am Prince Jongup of the Luna kingdom. Aren't you supposed to get ready to sleep?" Jongup asked.

"Why, when the most interesting thing to see happens at night?" Yongguk concluded.

Jongup said nothing. His parents warned him never to speak to anyone from the Sol kingdom. Bitter rivals grasping at the attention of the mortals, even though they were hardly anything in Jongup's eyes. Still, both kingdoms want to be seen as popular. However, Jongup wanted to know more about this strange man from Sol.

"What is it that you like about the night?" Jongup asked.

"I like the stars. I like how the stars dance across the night sky and how each constellation doesn't stay in one place," Yongguk responded.

Jongup remembered helping his parents with moving the stars, along with his parents.

"Why are you up to early? Hoping to get a head start?" Yongguk asked him.

"I like to see the light disappearing over the horizon. Sunset if what you call it, if I recall. Although, I much prefer sunrises than anything. I like enjoying being around the light," Jongup answered.

Yongguk almost looked surprised. The two then began a conversation about the different aspects of their power. However, as the night was beginning to come to an end, Jongup quickly said his goodbye and began to make his way back into the palace.

"Wait, will I see you again?" Yongguk asked.

Jongup thought about it.

"Tomorrow. Same time, I think. We should rotate, too," Jongup offered.

Jongup then disappeared behind the garden of gorgeous flowers that must only appear at night.

And that was what their little hide-and-seek game started. Sharing secret meetings with one another and making sure that they arrive home before anybody noticed. Some would grow suspicious, but nobody would guess anything. One day, when Yongguk snuck into Jongup's room at night, Jongup made sure that everything around him was dark. He closed the curtains and turned off the fire. Yongguk was placed in complete darkness.

Suddenly, there was light.

Across Jongup's room were the constellations that Yongguk grew so fond of. However, there were only four of them, while there were hundred up in the sky.

"I discovered my power when I was a child. My parents saw that I added to the night sky and suggested I move the night sky with them. Only when it was necessary, of course," Jongup said.

Yongguk stared at Jongup in wonder. Without thinking, he leaned in and gently placed a kiss on Jongup's lips. Yongguk grew a bit worried, wondering if he took it too far. However, Jongup began to kiss him back. For a moment, the two were in their own little haven.

However, happiness can only last in short bursts.

Yongguk and Jongup were being careful. Stealing kisses and touched during their small meetings with one another. However, when the two were in their little garden that they discovered that combined both the light and the dark plants together were they caught.

Jongup and Yongguk were sharing a lovely sip of tea when both the Sol and the Luna family arrived to see what their servants were talking about. Jongup and Yongguk shot up and tried to make their appearance seem innocent.

"I thought something was going on! Luna! How dare your son try to bewitch mine," the king of Sol accused.

"Me! It's obviously your son that is doing the seducing. My son would never seduce yours," the king of Luna declared.

After back and forth between the two kingdoms, they finally focused their attention to the two couple, who were trying to hold onto each other tightly.

"You know the rules, Jongup. We can't allow this," the king of Luna said.

"But father-"

"No. However, since you are of royalty, we can make an exception," the king of Sol said.

So, as punishment, Jongup and Yongguk were placed among the sky. Yongguk, the sun, and Jongup, the moon. If the two were to ever meet, they were to produce darkness within the land until the two separate.

Sometimes, when one looks closely, people can see a heart in the sky whenever the sun touches the moon.


	51. Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Week 51: A story set at Christmas.

Today is Saturday. Jongup and Yongguk took their five-year-old daughter to one of those arts and crafts classes that one of the stores was doing. Their daughter begged them to take them after someone from school bragged about creating the best art piece in class. So they took Sumin with them to the store where the arts and crafts class was going to be. The staff in their bright yellow aprons were helpings the younger children to get their art piece right. Today's class was making an ornament for the tree.

"After this, we should get a tree. I saw a lot of trees over on the other side," Jongup offered as they waited patiently for the class to start.

"Oh yeah, we should. Should we let Sumin pick the tree?" Yongguk asked.

"I wanna pick!" Sumin shouted, pouting at them.

Well, that answered their question.

After a few minutes, Sumin put on her own yellow apron and began to get started on working on her ornament. Yongguk and Jongup were helping Sumin as best as they could with her art project. It was bright orange with careful black stripes (curtesy of Yongguk) and tons of glitter. Jongup laughed when some paint got on Yongguk's face. Yongguk, in retaliation, smeared some paint on Jongup's face. Sumin was laughing at her silly dads and continued to put the finishing touches on the ornament.

"My, how lovely! This looks fantastic. Is this a tiger?" one of the workers asked.

"Tigger! My daddy helped me a bit," Sumin admitted, looking proudly at her ornament.

"Well, it's still gorgeous. If you're done, you can go and clean up," the staff said.

Yongguk and Jongup noted that many of the other kids were already done and going inside to get cleaned up. The staff carefully placed the now-dry ornament into a bag so that it wouldn't break. The three walked inside the store and attempted to find the bathroom. After asking one of the staff the directions to a bathroom, they helped clean Sumin up and cleaned themselves up as well. Sumin wiped the water on her apron as she waited.

"Sumin, no! That apron is dirty," Jongup tells her.

They went to one of the automatic air dryers to dry their hands together. After a few minutes, the three made their way towards the garden area to get themselves a nice tree.

"Alright Sumin. Go ahead and pick a tree," Yongguk said.

Sumin walked around to see what kind of tree she wanted. As the three were looking, Sumin squealed in delight when they see Santa Claus rounding behind the corner, with one of the staff next to them.

"Ho, ho, ho! Merry Christmas," the Santa said.

Sumin smiled widely as high fived him. Santa gave out a candy cane to her and ruffled her hair.

"I hope you're being a good girl this year," Santa said.

Sumin nodded her head eagerly. Santa soon left and made his way to the other kids. Sumin went back to her hunt for a Christmas tree. After a few minutes of deciding, she picked one of the Charlie Brown trees that was laying in the corner.

"This one, daddy," she told Yongguk.

Jongup picked up the tree, shook it a bit, and held it steady.

"It's a nice tree. Small, but it's perfect. Let's go buy it and let's see if they can trim it down a bit," Yongguk observed.

The three of them paid for their tree and asked for it to trim the bottom to make it even. After strapping the tree to the roof of their car, they made their way home and set it up accordingly. Sumin immediately placed her ornament on the tree.

"Not yet, little one. We need to put the lights on," Jongup said.

"We'll set it up tomorrow. We need to go to the mall when it's not so crowded," Yongguk said.

The next day, the three of them went to the mall and found the decorations that they wanted. The colorful lights that Jongup found at a bookstore looked perfect and it looked to be in good shape. Yongguk found so rather interesting ornaments that he was sure Jongup would like.

"I'm not surprised that you found Star Wars and Winnie the pooh ornaments," Jongup said between his laughter.

Before the three could leave, Sumin spotted the mall Santa and excitedly pointed it out. Jongup stood in line with Sumin while Yongguk waited so that he could get their picture. It only took about an hour before it was finally Sumin's turn.

"And what's your name, little girl?" Santa asked Sumin.

"Sumin," she answered cutely, smiling widely.

"And have you been a good girl?"

Sumin nodded her head with enthusiasm. Jongup and Yongguk were quite proud of themselves.

"And what would you like for Christmas?" Santa asked.

"A kitty!" she shouted.

Jongup and Yongguk paled at the thought. Sumin has been begging for a kitten for weeks. However, the two think that she's took young for a cat. Maybe when she's older, but they'll have to see.

"We'll see what Santa can do for you, okay. Now smile at the camera," Santa said.

Yongguk took the picture at the same time and looked at his phone. Jongup collected Sumin and the two made their way towards Yongguk.

"Should we get the photo?" Jongup asked.

"Why, when I have the picture right here?" Yongguk asked.

Jongup only shrugged his shoulders. The two made their way out of the mall and went home to decorate their tree.

\-----

Sumin looked out the window of her car seat and wondered where exactly they were going. She looked up at the front where her daddies were talking, but that didn't help, either. She waited patiently, until they turned up at an animal shelter.

"Daddy, where are we?" she asked Jongup.

"You'll see, little one," he answered.

The three got out and got Sumin to follow them towards the back. In a small room, the animal shelter staff placed several kittens in a room. Sumin gasped excitedly, but remembered what her daddies warned her. Kittens get scared. So she sat in the middle and waited for the kittens to come to her. Each one sniffed at her and rubbed their heads against her knee. She giggled excitedly and petted them gently on top of their heads.

"You're all so soft," she whispered.

Some of the scared kittens observed to the side. Some of the staff gave Sumin some cat treats so that the scared kittens can come to her.

They did.

Sumin, especially, liked the black kitten that was hesitant to approach her. After Sumin placed treats down so that the kitten could eat it, the kitten began to warm up to her.

"Which one do you like, Sumin?" Jongup asked.

Sumin gently picked up the black kitten and gently petted the kitten's hair.

"This one," she said.

Yongguk picked up the kitten that she picked and gave it to the staff. The two took Sumin out of the room and began to brush her down from all the cat hair.

"Am I getting a kitty?" Sumin asked excitedly.

"We'll see," Yongguk told her.

The two went back to their car and began to make their way home.

\-----

Christmas was something that Sumin was very excited about. She opened all of her gifts and smiled happily at her daddies. Her presents were small, but she still appreciated all of them. She especially loved the black kitten plush that her parents got her.

"I want you to close your eyes," Yongguk ordered.

Sumin closed her eyes with her hands. Yongguk made sure that she wasn't peaking and ushered Jongup to come into the room. Jongup, with a cat in hand, walked into the room silently.

"Okay, you can open your eyes," Jongup said.

Sumin looked up and shrieked happily, but stopped herself. She didn't want to scare her new companion.

"Is this mine?" she asked.

"She's ours. We got her litter box and toys already. All she needs is a name," Jongup said.

Jongup set the kitten down and walked towards Sumin carefully. Sumin gently petted the small kitten and smiled.

"Can you name her, daddy?" Sumin requested.

She looked up at Jongup, because they all know how Yongguk is about naming things. Jongup thought about it.

"How about Nebula? If you look into her eyes, it looks like you can see stars," Jongup offered.

Sumin looked down at her new kitten and smiled.

"Hello Nebula. Merry Christmas," she whispered, smiling.

Jongup and Yongguk kissed one another and watched Sumin playing with her new kitten.

"And what about my present?" Jongup asked.

"What present? I already spoil you enough as it is," Yongguk joked.

Jongup pouted and smiled at him.

"Later, when Sumin is sleeping," Yongguk whispered.

Jongup was going to hold him onto that.


	52. The End

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Week 52: A story entitled "The End".

"Can you believe it's gonna be a new year already?" Himchan asked.

The five looked up at him from their game.

"It seemed like yesterday we were celebrating the new year for 2016," Jongup said.

"That seemed so long ago!" Junhong shouted.

"To be honest, good riddance. 2016 was a piece of shit," Youngjae said.

They all hummed in agreement. They looked at the clock and saw that it was thirty minutes until midnight.

"You know, I feel like we've been through different stories throughout the year," Daehyun said.

"What do you mean?" Youngjae asked.

"I don't know. Like I've been different characters throughout the year. Like I've told so many stories that weren't mine," Daehyun answered.

They all pondered at that thought. It was true that they felt like something was different. They did feel like they were placed in different settings and alternate realities, but they were here now, all together.

"Alright, next card! What made my relationship so awkward? Answer, poorly timed holocaust jokes. Alright, a bit dark, but I know that's Daehyun's," Junhong read off.

After a few minutes of playing Cards Against Humanity, Himchan noted that it was going to be five more minutes until midnight. They turned on the television, poured some champagne as quickly as they could and waited.

"2017 might be a better year. What do you guys wish for?" Daehyun asked.

"Friendship, mostly. Maybe get some new books for the new year," Yongguk answered.

"Same, except for the books. Friendship and tolerance," Jongup said.

"That's a good one. I would say… good health to everybody. We all need to survive this year," Himchan said.

"Look, the ball is about to drop!" Junhong shouted excitedly.

The ball was counting down from thirty.

"Here's to a new year!" Daehyun said.

"A new album," Yongguk said.

"To our new fans," Jongup said.

The countdown was now to ten.

9.

8.

"I hope we stay together for another year," Junhong said.

"We all do," Youngjae said.

7.

6.

"5, 4, 3, 2, 1!"

They all shouted out a 'happy new year' and drank from their champagne. They all hugged one another and blew those weird blow horns as they celebrated the new year.

"2017 is gonna be different. I know it," Yongguk said.

And it felt like it was.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> holy shit that was long. but! it's finally finished. thanks to those who actually stuck around long enough for it. i can't thank you enough.   
> now, will i do this again?  
> the answer is hell no.


End file.
